Finding The Way Home
by EpicNaleyLoVe11
Summary: Squall Leonhart has mysteriously disappeared from his homeworld to the world of Radiant Garden, except he has no memory. With the help of Sora and others will he be able to return home and back to Rinoa?
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

**Arrival**

_Hi, this is my first story on here! Let me know what you guys think!! It's a cross between Final Fantasy VIII and Kingdom Hearts. This first chapter is just about how Squall/Leon came to Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden in the first place. So please R&R!! Thanks!_

Background-One day a mysterious stranger named Squall Leonheart appears on the world of Radiant Garden with no memory. Soon Radiant Garden is taken over by the evil heartless, Squall and a few others manage to escape to the world of Traverse Town. While there Squall's memories of his past life begin to come back When someone from his past shows up he realizes he has to go home and face his mysterious past._  
_

"Who is he?" A man with blond hair, stubble, and a gruff voice asked.

"I don't know, but whoever he is, he sure is heavy!" A reserved woman in her 20's wearing a pink dress with a pink bow in her brown her said as she helped carry the mysterious stranger in.

"He's also really cute!" A girl with black hair and a peppy attitude exclaimed carrying the feet of the stranger.

"Yuffie is that all you ever think about?" The blond haired man asked, exasperated.

"C'mon Cid! The way his dark spiky hair is falling into his eyes. The way his face looks so peaceful, yet troubled at the same time. You also have to admit that lion on the chain around his neck looks pretty frickin cool!" The black-haired girl, Yuffie, explained admiringly.

"He's a hero," The woman with the pink bow whispered to herself.

"What was that Aerith?" Yuffie asked, confused.

"Ladies stop the chit-chat and get this man to the lab ASAP!" Cid yelled.

"Cid, I know you're old, but couldn't you at least help with the carrying a little?" Yuffie whined.

"I'd hurt my back, now GO!" Cid said with a slight smirk as he placed a piece of straw between his lips.

"How old do you think he is Aerith?" Yuffie anxiously asked.

"Somewhere around 19 or 20 physically, but mentally he is far beyond his years." Aerith wisely explained.

"Yay! He's around my age!!" Yuffie shouted with joy. The man stirred slightly on the metal table he was on in front of the two girls. Yuffie's face broke into a broad smile, "Cid I think he's waking up! How are his vital signs?"

"I don't exactly know," Aerith looked at Cid as he said this scratching his head, "I mean they're normal, but he's unconscious and that ain't normal," Cid paused for a second, considering a question, "Aerith can you try to heal him?"

Aerith looked at the man on the table with a sad expression. She took out a pole that was attached to the back of her pretty pink dress and began to wave around in a circle. A faint green light began to shine, but it instantly faded.

"I'm so sorry," Aerith said quietly, a tear sliding down her cheek. She ran out of the room, disgusted with herself.

"Why can't she find the light?" Yuffie asked, uncommonly serious.

"I guess the one that inspires her hasn't shown up yet. They'll come one day Yuffie and Aerith will return to her normal cheery self. I promise."

Yuffie nodded, not truly believing Cid, but needing to. Ever since Aerith's best friend, Tifa, had been taken by the darkness she had spiraled into a deep depression. Aerith had been the best mage on all of Radiant Gardens and now she couldn't cast any type of magic.

"RINOA!!!!!!!!!" The man lying on the medical table cried out suddenly with a desperate tone. Yuffie ran up to him and grabbed his hand hoping for him to say something else, but he had passed out again.

"Damn it," she whispered as Cid continued pounding away at the medical computer.

3 days passed and nothing more escaped the man's lips. Yuffie had examined his clothes, the strange sword he'd been carrying, his necklace, and him. He had a black jacket with a fur collar; two sky blue wings had been painted on the back of his jacket. He had had black pants with two belts so the crossed like an X over his butt. He had worn black combat boots with a small logo engraved on the bottom that simply said 'SeeD.' His sword was like a normal sword except at the hilt was a gun trigger and when you swung the sword and hit something, while pulling the trigger, a minor explosion took place. The necklace he had worn was a chain with a ring on it and a lion. Engraved on the ring were 2 names, Rinoa Heartilly and Squall Leonheart, there was a heart between the 2 names. Yuffie slid the ring off and stuck it in her pocket. _Why did I just do that?_ She asked herself, but kept the ring all the same. Cid had changed the man into a blue medical gown, the man seemed completely out of place in it. He had longish, but still short brown hair that had been spiked at the back when he first arrived but now lay flat. His left ear was pierced. She had opened his eyes and noticed they were a stone gray; she got the feeling this was a guy who didn't smile very much. She had also noticed that he was rather well built and had many scars on him, like one that stretched across his face, she got the feeling he was an experienced fighter.

"I just don't understand why he hasn't woken up yet!" Cid exclaimed angrily while pounding on the computer."

"Well he did just poof out of thin air, that probably takes a lot out of someone," Yuffie casually explained while staring at the man, whom she assumed was Squall Leonheart. Suddenly his eyes opened, they were filled with pure fear. "CID! HE'S AWAKE!"

"WH-where am I?" The man asked nervously glancing at Yuffie.

"You're in the world of Radiant Garden under the care of ME, Yuffie Kisaragi!" The man looked up at Cid, "Oh and Cid Highwind is helping out as well," Yuffie shrugged.

"Who am I?" The man asked pleadingly after a moment's pause.

Yuffie picked up the jacket he had been wearing and took out a card she had found stitched in the lining of his jacket. She handed the card to him and said, "This might help. I don't exactly know what it means, but maybe it will help."

The card read:

**Gunblade Specialist, Magic Specialist, GF Specialist**_Broody Specialist_  
**SeeD reigning Commander  
Temporary Headmaster of Balamb Garden until a suitable replacement for the late Cid and Edea Kramer can be found.**

The 'Broody Specialist' had been scribbled on by someone and it seemed to confuse Squall. "This doesn't help me at all!" He was truly upset at knowing nothing about himself.

Yuffie looked at him, her eyes filled with pity, "I found this necklace on you. It's a lion, and just calling you 'Lion' would be stupid, so how about if I call you Leon?"

"Leon……" The man, said thoughtfully. He sat up straight, stuck out his hand, and said, "Hi my name is Leon. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Yuffie smiled, "Hello Leon. I'm Yuffie and welcome to your new life."


	2. Chapter 2: Living the false life

**Living the False Life**

_So this is Chapter 2. I think the first chapter was a little bit confusing so hopefully this one clears up a few things. Thanks for everyone who read the last chapter! R&R please :)  
_

Disclaimer: As you most likely know I do not own any part of the Final Fantasies or Kingdom Hearts

Background-One day a mysterious stranger named Squall Leonheart appears on the world of Radiant Garden with no memory. Soon Radiant Garden is taken over by the evil heartless, Squall and a few others manage to escape to the world of Traverse Town. While there Squall's memories of his past life begin to come back, when someone from his past shows up he realizes he has to go home and face his mysterious past.

* * *

"Leon! I swear if you make me late I'll-" Yuffie threatened, yelling up the apartment stairs. They were on their way to a ball to see Ansem the Wise, the ruler of Radiant Garden.

"You'll what? Shock me with your majestic beauty?" Leon playfully said.

"Don't I do that everyday?" Yuffie called back up to him, flirting.

"Very true," Finally, he began to go down the stairs. It had been 2 years since he had woken up in this strange world and he still didn't have his memory back, but that didn't keep him from trying to live his life. Leon walked down the stairs in a fancy black tux and he looked down to see Yuffie in a beautiful emerald dress, "Whoa," he said quietly as he admired his girlfriend of 7 months.

"So did I shock you with my majestic beauty?" Yuffie teased.

"Yes you did." He said simply and he gave her a small peck on the lips. He gestured toward the door, "Shall we?" Yuffie nodded and they walked out of the apartment complex they shared with Cid and Aerith arm in arm.

The ball was wonderful, everyone who was left in the world had arrived to celebrate Ansem's 25th year of ruling. Cid had convinced a nice woman to go to the ball with him and he looked unbelievably happy, the woman didn't look so thrilled. She thought he chewed too much straw. Yuffie had convinced Aerith to go and she had come in a simple dark red dress and stayed in a corner for most of the night.

At some point in the night after Leon and Yuffie had shared a dance, Yuffie told Leon she was going to go talk to Aerith and get something to drink. "I'll be right back!" She said with a smile.

Leon nodded and walked over to a window. He calmly looked up to the night sky and smiled a bit in awe of its beauty. A star shot across the sky, "That's so cool," He said quietly. Suddenly, a vision of a 17 year old girl in a champagne dress pointing up to the sky came to him. The girl had been the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and just from the brief vision his heart rate had sped up a bit. _Who was that? She seemed so familiar..._ Leon thought to himself.

"Hey!" A finger tapped him quickly on the shoulder and Leon spun around, hoping against hope that it was the mysterious girl from the vision. "Are you okay?" It was just Yuffie.

"I think I'm going to take off, that okay?" Leon asked, he had to get out of there.

"Yeah that's fine. Are you sure you're alright?" She asked, concerned.

"Oh yeah, I'm good, just a little tired."

"You know you'll miss Ansem's speech and the amazing fireworks afterwards," She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, taking Leon's hand.

_Why won't she just let me leave?_ "Well I'm really really tired and I'll be miserable so I think I'm just going to leave." He let go of Yuffie's hand and exited the ball.

Leon was halfway home when he heard a voice yelling at him. _What now? I just want to go him and think!_ Aerith ran up next to him. They walked together in silence for a few moments before Aerith whispered, "You saw her didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Leon asked completely curious. _There is no way Aerith could know about my vision…is there?_

"The girl from your past, the one in the dress. You saw her didn't you?"

"_How_ do you know about that??" Leon was floored by Aerith's knowledge. She had always known things that others hadn't, but never something like this.

"There's a strong connection between you and that girl, I've been able to feel it even when you haven't remembered it. Tonight a memory of her came back to you, and when it did I just happened to be 'listening' to the connection and saw that glimpse of her too."

Leon stood there in shock; they were now in front of the door to Aerith's room. He wanted to know as much about this girl as possible.

"Do you know her name, Aerith?" He asked, showing a vulnerable side of himself that he did not like.

"I do, but I can't tell you that." She said, breaking eye contact.

"Why?" He just wanted to remember her, to remember why just a glimpse of her could send him into a frenzy.

"You must remember it for yourself Leon," With that Aerith went into her room and closed the door leaving Squall Leonheart alone with his thoughts.

A fancy ball. The girl pointing up to a night sky. The girl hugging him close on a spaceship. The girl lying unconscious on a bed, the desperate need to have her say something, anything, to let him know she was all right, "RI-!"

Leon awoke from his dream in his room calling out the first syllable of the one girl he had truly loved. He pulled off his shirt and saw a scar appearing on his upper left chest."Ow, this kinda hurts," he said quietly as he watched the scar form magically. As suddenly as it had started, the scar stopped forming and stayed there; Leon laid back down in a sweat and was unable to get back to sleep for the rest of the night.

The next day Leon went to the Radiant Garden library where he found Yuffie studying weaponry, as he figured. He didn't know how to interpret the dream from the night before, so he was choosing to ignore it.

"Hey," he whispered in Yuffie's ear making her jump.

"Hey!" she exclaimed with a slightly annoyed tone.

Leon pulled up a chair next to her, "So I heard you have this jerk of a boyfriend who left you at the ball last night for no good reason. What do you think the punishment should be for him?" He asked with a small smile.

"I think he should be drawn and quartered," Yuffie was smiling and she leaned in.

"Oh yeah?" Leon leaned in closer too; he loved the making up after they fought. He always got kissed best then. It could almost make him forget there was something big missing in his life.

Their lips collided and he felt her smile as the kiss got deeper, out of nowhere Leon started screaming in pain.

"AUGH! IT HURTS!!!" He started yelling. Yuffie had a confused expression on her face, masking the pain she felt. Leon pulled off the blue polo he'd been wearing to reveal the new scar on his chest bleeding. He fell to the ground, panting, as images began to flow in his head. The girl was smiling at him, playing with a ring. She was pointing at the sky in a pretty dress on a balcony. She was shoving him off a platform so she could talk to him seriously. She was telling him she thought he was a self-centered ass. He was promising he'd always find her. He was saving her from a life of captivity in a strange lab. He was dead and she was holding his head crying. Now, he was falling…falling off a float and she stared at him tears in her eyes, while a blade of ice went straight through his left chest.

Leon looked up and made eye contact with Yuffie, but he didn't truly see her. "Rinoa," he whispered and then passed out.

"Leon! Wake up! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!" Yuffie was yelling as she shook Leon with her all her heart. _Who is this Rinoa? Why does her name sound so familiar?_ Yuffie continued shaking Leon until someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Aerith, "Aerith what's wrong with him?" She asked, pleading.

Aerith smiled down at Yuffie, sadly. "His heart is finally letting him know about the betrayal he's been making."

"What do you mean? Wait- who's Rinoa?"

"Yuffie….you've been in denial…you need to show Leon the ring you stole from him the day we found him."

Yuffie stood up and reached into her pocket, she briefly ran her finger over the ring, "How do you know about this?"

"Yuffie…Leon once told me that he remembered having a ring that meant a lot to him. He didn't remember anything about the ring, except that it meant everything to him. I remember you as a little girl were devious and would steal things from everyone you met. I figured you had gone back to your old ways. I didn't want to tell Leon and hurt him, but I was hoping you would give him back the ring."

Yuffie looked up to her sadly and took out the ring. "I feel horrible about taking this from him. Aerith you need to understand I only did this so he wouldn't be caught up in the pas-"

"Stop the excuses Yuffie and give him back the ring when he wakes up."

"How do you know he'll wa-" Yuffie looked down to where Leon had been laying to see him gone, "Where'd he go?!?" _How did I miss his disappearance_

"Someone carried him out a while ago. They're going to take him to Cid's lab. Are you coming?" Aerith wasn't being her usual kind self, but she didn't have patience for Yuffie messing with Leon's mind.

* * *

They arrived at the lab and saw Leon lying on the same medical table he had laid on 2 years before. Cid was over him stitching up the wound on his chest.

"Damn it!" Cid exclaimed in an annoyed voice, "This wound just won't close up!"

Aerith took a step towards Leon, concern in her eyes. "Leon, remember Rinoa...She_needs_ you to live, she _wants_ you to live. You have not betrayed her. Leon, live for Rinoa," She placed her hand over his heart and the wound closed.

"How the hell you do that?" Cid asked, a piece of straw falling from his lips.

"I didn't do anything," she said quietly, "His heart healed him."

* * *

Several hours passed before Leon awoke to see Yuffie sitting next to him, her eyes wide. When she saw he was awake she started crying. _This is so not what I need right now,_ Leon thought to himself watching his soon-to-be-ex crying.

"Yuffie," he said, his voice weak from thirst. She picked up a water bottle and handed it to him. He managed to drink it, when he finally caught his breath he managed, "I can't do this anymore. The life I've been living, the way I've been behaving, it's all been a lie. This is not me; I have to stay true to myself. Also, there…there is someone from my past whom I can't get out of my mind …She's the one I love."

Yuffie silently nodded, tears falling from her eyes. She stood up and placed the ring into Leon's hand. She started to walk out, but right before she left she turned to him and whispered, "I'm sorry."


	3. Chapter 3: Traverse Town and Meetin Sora

**Traverse Town and Meeting Sora**

_Sorry it took so long to put up this chapter, I've been out of the country for a few weeks and haven't had internet access! Thanks to all those who have read and for the couple that have favorited and reviewed!!! Please R&R!_

Background-One day a mysterious stranger named Squall Leonheart appears on the world of Radiant Garden with no memory. Soon Radiant Garden is taken over by the evil heartless, Squall and a few others manage to escape to the world of Traverse Town. While there Squall's memories of his past life begin to come back When someone from his past shows up he realizes he has to go home and face his mysterious past.

Disclaimer: I do not own any character from Square Enix or Disney, if I did own Disney they would not have made all those craptacious sequels

* * *

About 3 weeks after the episode at the Radiant Garden library, the world had been taken over by heartless. Leon had been powerless to truly help save the world because his left arm was out of commission due to the wound in his chest. In the end Cid had saved him, Cid had been readying for the day the heartless came for some time apparently. He had built a ship made of gummies so they could escape from the planet in a short amount of time. Nobody knew of what had happened to Ansem the Wise, he had been around when the major fighting had started, but by the end he had disappeared. Cid had flown Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and a few others to a world known as Traverse Town. He explained that this world was for refugees, but it was still a rather nice world. He had been right, most everyone there had been from a world that had been taken over by the heartless, but everybody there was courteous, even though the heartless managed to infiltrate the first district nearly every day. When they arrived in Traverse Town, Leon ordered a leather jacket, similar to the one he had had when he arrived at Radiant Garden, except there was no fur and it was short sleeved. On the back of it he painted two red wings. He wore his lion necklace and ring every single day. For quite some time Leon stayed behind a computer screen, trying to make sense of what happened to him, how he had arrived at Radiant Garden and the sudden appearance of the scar. He researched the heartless, researched other worlds, and he discovered a few "holes" to other universes. He kept his findings a secret from Cid and the others, and he grew reclusive. When Leon had regained full use of his left arm he made an announcement to everyone. 

"I'm going out to permanently clear out the heartless from the first district, and hopefully the others as well." He had explained to Cid, Aerith, and Yuffie calmly.

"Squall," Yuffie was cut off by a glare from Leon. After their break-up Yuffie had gotten into the habit of calling Leon: Squall, his true name. Leon, though, refused to be known as Squall until he was able to find a way back to his own world, "I mean Leon, don't you think this is a stupid idea?"

He shot her another glare, "No. I think sitting around doing nothing is a stupid idea. That's what everyone did at Radiant Garden and look where that got us."

"Well shouldn't someone at least go with you?" Yuffie asked, almost begging.

"Relying on others makes you weak," Leon said coldly.

With that Leon left the shop Cid had opened and started fighting heartless.

* * *

For 2 years Leon stayed away from the others, destroying numerous heartless. He noticed how easy it was for him to fight, like he had been doing it his whole life, even though he hadn't fought at all in Radiant Garden. Sometimes the work would be hard, but he could always manage. Leon had grown into an expert heartless killer and had managed to clear out the first district of Traverse Town and cut back on the number in the second and third districts. While out fighting heartless he heard about the missing Dalmatian puppies and promised to help as much as he could. When he finally returned to the regular society of Traverse Town he set up a small security system, alleys were boarded up and the gate between the first and third districts was locked. He wanted to keep the first district as safe as possible, even if it meant making it harder for stragglers in the third district. _They should've known what they were getting into, _he reasoned.

Leon, Cid, Aerith, and Yuffie set up patrols throughout the town to keep a watch on the heartless at all times. Traverse Town was considered quite safe now and the 4 were placed as the governors of the world.

Leon kept researching everything, such as the mysterious keybearer and became extremely knowledgeable. Over time he started picking up on things similar to how Aerith could.

One day a small mouse came to see him; he introduced himself as Mickey, the king of another world. Mickey said soon two of his loyal subjects would be coming to look for the legendary keybearer. They were to find Leon for help. Even though the mouse was considerably shorter than him and had a high, almost laughable, voice Leon greatly respected him. He just had that sort of aura around him. Leon had simply nodded as Mickey told him about the situation going on throughout all the worlds and how only the one with the keyblade could stop it.

"How will I know who the keybearer is?" Leon asked before the king departed.

"You just will," With those words Mickey teleported off a glowing green piece of ground.

* * *

Leon waited and 7 years after he had first appeared on Radiant Garden, the boy arrived. Leon was now 26 years old. His hair was now past his shoulders, but still spiky. The scar on his face showed he had a troubled life and made him seem intimidating. Cid alerted Leon when the boy had arrived and was exploring the other districts. Leon figured Mickey's loyal subjects would be here soon as well. Leon saw the boy in the first district running from heartless, right into Cid's shop. Leon quickly destroyed all the heartless that had foolishly followed the boy and waited

The boy exited the shop, hands behind his head. He was young, 14 at the oldest, with messily spiked dirty blond hair. He had humongous yellow shoes and a red outfit. He also had some white gloves on his hands. Leon shocked him and after a short exchange the boy wanted to fight. Leon knew he had to get the keyblade away from the boy so the heartless wouldn't attack the first district. As they fought he realized the boy was an okay fighter, but he would need to get considerably better if he wanted to go save the worlds. The boy was persistent, not wanting to give up. Finally Leon was able to knock him out cold. Yuffie showed up and teased Leon a little, but helped him carry the boy to the hotel in the second district without being attacked by heartless. Yuffie informed Leon that the king's subjects had arrived and that Aerith was currently talking to them.

The boy finally awoke and confused Yuffie with a friend of his named Kairi, which kind've scared Leon. _If the boy can't even keep people straight how are supposed to believe that he will save us?_ The boy introduced himself as Sora and Leon began to fill him in on the situation with the planets. As they were about to leave a heartless flew in through the window, now was Sora's chance to prove himself to Leon.

Leon watched the boy, a duck, and a dog-type creature fight a giant suit of armor. They could work together as a team and maybe succeed, just maybe. After defeating the heartless Leon had to convince Sora to leave. He knew that Sora would be able to find his friend Kairi if he went on this journey, because Kairi was inside Sora's heart. Eventually Sora, the duck (Donald), and the dog (Goofy) departed on their journey, leaving Leon to fight all the angry heartless in Traverse Town alone, just the way he liked it.


	4. Chapter 4: The Journey Home

**The Journey "Home"**

**Here is Chapter 4, sorry it took so long to update. R&R please! Thanks very much to JHerr314 by the way :) **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Leon kept researching, looking for all the scattered Ansem reports. He still had a hard time believing the once wise ruler was now the cruel leader of the heartless. 

Over time Leon grew to care about the keybearer a little, all his hopes of returning to his homeworld rested on Sora. This annoyed Leon to no end, he was depending on someone; Leon hated depending on someone.

He was no longer the hopeless 19 year old who didn't know anything about himself; Leon now knew more than anyone thought. Numerous memories had come back over the years. Squall had been an experienced mercenary and he was madly in love with Rinoa, he also knew Rinoa had once saved him. Squall had once died in a world of limbo, but Rinoa had been able to find him and bring him back. It annoyed him that the he could only see the faces of his other friends, nothing about their names, personalities, or anything. Leon did know that before he had somehow disappeared from that world he had been very happy.

"It's time Leon," Aerith told him as he looked at a map of the galaxy.

He looked up at the woman who had lost so much, she was now 29. Over the past few years she had been able to put on a cheery façade, but with Leon it always faltered a bit. They had been able to form an unbreakable friendship throughout their time together. "You know….**when** Sora saves all the world a lot of people should be returned to their homeworlds…" He said slowly.

Aerith's face became a mixture of disappointment and pure happiness, "So Tifa will come home?"

"Most likely," Leon's face broke into a rare smile at seeing the happiness on Aerith's face.

"Does that mean you'll go home too?" This was where the disappointment came in. Sure she was happy for Leon that he could finally go home, but it also meant she would lose another best friend.

"I honestly don't think so Aerith," Leon tried as hard as he could to hide the sadness that was now quickly enveloping him.

"Why?" She ran up and hugged Leon and he immediately stiffened as she knew he would; Aerith figured it was better for him to be completely uncomfortable than to be sad.

"I'm from a different universe. I have this theory that some of us have doubles and in that universe is where the doubles reside. I shouldn't be here and I doubt I'll ever go home now that I know about this universe," Leon carefully explained. He didn't want Aerith asking about her tragic double. This life for her may indeed be empty, but it's better than the no life at all she had in the other.

"I'm so sorry Leon, I know how much you want to be Squall again."

He nodded and broke apart their hug, "So what is it time for?"

Her face broke into an expression of realization, "We're going back to Radiant Garden! Well it's now called Hollow Bastion and it's the headquarters of the heartless, but still! We're going ho-" She cut herself off, realizing what she was about to say.

"Yeah we're going to Leon's home," he said with a little smile. It was the best he could muster, even for Aerith's sake.

* * *

Sora was asking questions, questions Leon had found himself asking recently. Sora wanted reassurance, he didn't want to lose those he had grown to love, but he knew he had to fight. Seeing the desperation on Sora's face Leon came to a quiet realization and he found the words Sora needed to hear. 

"Sora, we may never meet again," Images of Rinoa and the others flashed through Leon's mind. He remembered the times they had shared and he cherished those memories with every aspect of his being, "but we'll never forget each other." He had to hang onto his own memories of his friends, they were who he was and they made him into who he is, he must always cherish their footprints on his life.

* * *

Bright lights rained down, all around Leon. _He did it, the kid did it. He actually beat that son of a bitch Ansem!_ The bright lights kept falling and people started disappearing. Cid, Yuffie, Aerith, and he all held hands as they started to disappear. Leon watched Kairi start walking by herself down an icy path. _What is she doing? Does she know how risky it is to walk into the unknown? I should know seeing as how I died because I did that all those years ago…_Right before Leon completely disappeared he let go of Aerith's hand, if he had a chance to go home this was it. He smiled a little at his hypocrisy. He had just been scolding Kairi for what he was about to do, take one of the biggest risks of his entire life, venture into the unknown of the time-space continuum. 

Images flashed in his head and with those images were words. A blond boy with a tattoo running down the side of his face was doing back flips; his name was Zell. A guy with reddish-brown hair and a gun was flirting with a girl in a simple yellow dress; they were Irvine and Selphie. A stern, but caring woman in orange with glasses glared at a group of unruly students; she was Quistis. A slightly balding man held the hand of a woman with a kind face. They were Cid and Matron, Cid and Edea. A girl with kind features, reached her hand out to a little boy; Sis, Ellone. A tall man looked at a gravestone with his two best friends beside him; Laguna, Kiros, and Ward looking at Raine's grave. Finally, a girl in a simple blue dress smiled sadly and mouthed "I'm waiting for you to keep your promise."

* * *

Leon collided with the hard ground. He was scared to open his eyes, scared to see where he was or worse, where he wasn't. All around him was silence as he lay there. There wasn't searching for a Squall or a Leon, there weren't heartless running around, there weren't students running around at a mercenary academy either. He waited a few minutes and opened an eye. He saw blue sky above. He opened both eyes, all he saw was blue sky. His hopes were neither dashed nor realized yet. He slowly sat up and looked around, he was surrounded by wreckage. He looked up on a hill and saw……. 

The ruins of Hollow Bastion.

"Damn it!" He felt a tear drop slide down his cheek and he began to slam his fist onto the ground. His hand started to bleed, but he didn't care. All he had wanted was to return to his homeworld and see Rinoa, in person, just one last time.

"Leon?" He heard her, but he kept pounding the ground. He was hoping it would suddenly crumble and transport him home, "Leon?!" He heard running and pounded all the harder. "Leon, stop!" A warm hand was placed on his shoulder and pulled him gently back where he fell on his ass, but didn't care. Aerith kneeled down and brought Leon into a tight hug. He put his face on Aerith's shoulder. Squall Leonhart was not one who liked to cry, he despised it, but as he sat there against his best friend's shoulder, his hopes crushed he felt the tears rise. He sat with his face against Aerith's warm shoulder for 20 minutes. When she finally spoke her voice was full of sympathy, "Leon, come on. They're waiting on us inside the library." She gently pulled him up and led him inside the ruins of the castle by the hand.

Outside of the doorway to the library they stopped and she took her hand away. He nodded his head to show he was ready and put his usual emotionless face on. They walked into the library and Yuffie's jaw dropped when she saw Leon. _Why is he still here?_ She asked herself. He silently walked over to stand next to her in the corner.

"Where's Cid?" Aerith asked Yuffie, with a false cheerful voice.

"He's bringing some new guy. Apparently he's friends with Sora," Yuffie explained uncaringly, staring at Leon.

The door to the library opened and Cid walked in, followed by a guy with spiky blond hair. One part of it stuck straight up and he had the prettiest eyes Aerith had ever seen. He wore a black uniform with armor scattered on it and a reddish cape. He had a huge bandaged sword on his back. She suddenly felt like her old self and wanted a better look at his eyes. The blond man looked down at the ground so Aerith placed her face under his so they made eye contact, "My name is Aerith, what's yours?"

The man couldn't help but be intrigued by the beautiful woman, "I'm Cloud."

Leon suddenly looked up. Remembering his research into Aerith's double his eyes narrowed, Cloud's arrival could bring trouble in the form of a man named Sephiroth.

"What's with the bloody knuckles?" Yuffie whispered to Leon, concerned.

"I hit the ground hard," he explained shortly. He needed to think about what he should do about Cloud.

"What?" Yuffie asked surprised. She and the others had gently been placed to the ground on their feet right after disappearing.

"Yeah you know when we crashed after those few seconds in limbo," he explained, not picking up on Yuffie's confusion.

"Oh what did you see in your limbo?" Now Yuffie was prying for information, noticing Leon not really paying attention to her.

"Zell,-" He turned to look at her with a perturbed expression, realizing what he was saying, "What do you think?"

"Sorry, I was just asking!" Leon turned back to stare at Cloud who was now flirting slightly with Aerith.

Leon had no problem whatsoever with those two flirting, he knew they belonged together. He had a problem with fate, fate was supposed to keep them separate so Aerith wouldn't die. At least that's what he had always assumed. If Cloud knew nothing about Sephiroth then maybe this wouldn't turn out so bad….

Leon walked up next to Aerith and said, "Hi, I'm Leon," Cloud nodded towards him, he went back into his little emotionless shell. Leon almost laughed at how similar they could be, "I'm just wondering Cloud, have you ever heard of a man named Sephiroth?"

The look on Cloud's face said everything. His eyes narrowed and a look of pure hatred appeared on his face. Leon felt Aerith stiffen a little, she was expecting a fight to break out between the two now. Leon knew Cloud hated Sephiroth with every fiber of his ebing from that look, he figured Cloud didn't know that some of his hatred came from his double's life. The life where Sephiroth murdered Aerith.

"How do you know that bastard's name?" Cloud looked at Leon straight in the eye.

"I've heard of his evil ways and that he had a rivalry with one of the most powerful fighters ever. This fighter has blond spiky hair and a large sword. He also has lost his way in life and lost a good portion of his will to live, the only reason he still fights is to find and defeat Sephiroth." Leon was partially lying, Sora had told him that he had met a fighter who had lost his way and Leon realized it was Cloud.

Cloud stared at the ground, he didn't want people really knowing about his past. He looked up at the man he was talking to, _Leon, was it? I've heard that name before_, "So you must be the famous protector of Traverse Town. The guy who went and defeated many of the heartless there for selfish reasons. You protected so you could return to your former glory right?" Leon just stared at Cloud. How could this guy know what Leon had barely admitted to himself? "Hades wanted to recruit you, but he just happened to find me first. Sora told me a few things about all you guys. It also helps that I'm a SOLDIER, I can just read people." Leon stared at this guy, in a form of awe. Cloud was doing the same, but was doing a much better job at hiding it.

"Well I guess you would like to see the town wouldn't you?" Leon asked. He was going to give Cloud and Aerith at least one night alone so Leon could think about how to handle this situation, "Aerith, why don't you show Cloud around?"

Aerith pulled Leon aside, out of Cloud's earshot, "Am I that obvious?" She asked excited, but nervous at the same time.

Leon gave her a false smile, "Not at all. I just know you too well."

Aerith gave him a concerned look, "And I know you too well. You're hiding something from me! What is it?" Leon gave her a questioning glance, knowing she'd be able to see through it, "Leon, what's wrong?"

He had to give her an answer, but he couldn't tell her the truth; it could either hurt her or scare her. So he held up his still bloody hand, "This."

"I'm sorry Leon. If you want you could have Yuffie show Cloud around and you and I can have a nice night in."

Leon remembered the parallel meeting between Yuffie and Cloud and almost laughed, "Nah, I don't think Cloud would be too happy if Yuffie stole all his stuff."

Aerith nodded and gave Leon a quick pat on the shoulder to let him know she was there for him.

"Shall we go?" She stuck her hand out to Cloud and he just stared at it, "I'll let you hold my hand if you buy a flower from me for one munny!" She smiled as he took her hand.

"The hell? That made no sense!" Cid exclaimed. To Leon it made perfect sense, it made too much sense. This was looking a lot like the meeting of the alternate Cloud and Aerith.

* * *

"So Cloud, do you like Aerith?" Yuffie teased 3 weeks later as she, Leon, and Cloud walked around the town surveying the damage. Cloud's response to her question was to stare at her out of the corner of his eye. "C'mon Cloud, you can trust me with a secret!!" This made Leon laugh a little. 

"I'm guessing she can't keep a secret then?" Cloud asked with a small smirk.

"Not if her life depended on it," Leon said.

"Hey!" Yuffie playfully punched Squall in the chest. Of course she could hit extremely hard and she hit him in the bad part of his chest and a flash of pain went through Squall so bad that he had to clutch where he was hit.

"Damn it Yuffie, why did you have to hit me so hard?"

"I didn't hit you _that_ hard!"

"Yuffie, you're a freaking ninja, you grew up learning how to hit hard. AND you hit me in my sore spot!" Leon let go of himself and started rolling his left arm.

"You're kinda a wimp," Cloud observed.

"You try getting stabbed with an ice knife and then getting hit by a freaking ninja and then tell me that I'm a wimp," Leon pointed out. Yuffie stopped walking while Leon said that. He instantly noticed and turned around, "What?"

"You weren't stabbed with an ice blade, the wound just appeared…" Yuffie said confused. Cloud then proceeded to look at Leon confused as well.

"Yuffie it is my life remember?" Leon was slightly annoyed that she was questioning about things she knew _nothing_ about.

"Remember how half your life disappeared and you have a big memory gap? Also remember that scar wasn't there 'til that day?" She seemed to be getting annoyed too.

"Wow what a nice lover's quarrel," Cloud commentated.

"Firstly, Cloud we're not lovers. Secondly, Yuffie, the scar had appeared the night before it opened, I just didn't tell you. And I've started remembering things including getting the wound in the first place, but I'm not going to share my memories with you."

"Gah Leon! Why do you have to be such a dickhead all the time!" She stormed off into the distance.

"It actually worked…" Leon said almost smugly.

"What did?" Cloud asked curiously.

"Being mean to her to get her to leave."

"Nice. Why did you want her to leave?"

"So I could get something straight," Leon turned to Cloud, glaring, "If you hurt Aerith, or are responsible for Aerith getting hurt, I will personally kill you."

Cloud looked at him stunned, "I've only been here a few weeks, I practically just met Aerith. Why do you assume I automatically like her?" _I mean I do, but that doesn't mean he has to go threatening me!_ "Besides I don't hurt people on purpose, well unless they're Sephiroth, but that's different. Anyway, I have no intention of hurting Aerith and I wish you would leave me alone about it."

"I can read people too you know, and I know for a fact that you have feelings for Aerith," Leon said warningly.

"Brave claim for a young guy," Cloud said, teasing Leon a bit so they could get the mood back to friendly, but also making it clear he wasn't scared of Leon.

"Hey you're only 2 years older! Besides you're still a year younger than Aerith!" Leon claimed.

"At least I'm not a cradle robber!" Leon looked at Cloud confused, "You and Yuffie, I mean she's like 5 years younger than us and I sensed something going on."

Leon began to walk again, not looking at Cloud. After a few seconds he started to explain things, "I lost all my memory a while back. I pretended like it didn't bother me, I was a completely different person. Yuffie and I started dating then, but one night at this ball thing I started remembering things about my life.While I was with Yuffie I felt like there was something missing, something huge, and I felt…guilty…for forgetting whatever it was. That night at the ball I looked up and I remembered what it was. This girl, she was the one who got me past all my stupid issues, she was the one who showed me what happiness is. She saved me so many times in so many ways. The next day I ignored my fleeting dream of her and the scar that appeared and I kissed Yuffie like nothing was wrong. That's when my heart let me know I needed to quit running and face my issues. It let me know by reopening the scar," Leon glanced sheepishly at Cloud whose face remained emotionless, "Sorry for spilling my life story to you, it's the influence of Rinoa, if it wasn't for her I never would've said more than a few words to you."

"It's fine. You actually just helped me out, by reminding me that I have to do something before it's too late."

Leon watched, perplexed, as Cloud ran off back to their apartment.


	5. Chapter 5: Fighting The Nightmares

**Fighting The Nightmares**

**I'm sorry it's been...6 months (wow I didn't realize it had been that long) since I last updated. It's just the last day I updated this was the first time I published my OTH story and it got a lot more hits and a lot more reviews, so I felt like nobody liked this one. Recently, though, I started playing my FF8 again and I just felt the inspiration to continue this and I will make a sincere effort to update this story regularly, even if I get very few reviews (though I'm hoping for more :D) **

**By the way I went through the first few chapters and made many grammatical corrections today, just in case you're one of the few who read this when I first published it and still remember what happened.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own FFVIII or Kingdom Hearts, if I did Kingdom Hearts Final Mix would be released in the States.  
**

**Now, after this long blob the newest and delayed for far too long chapter shall begin... **

* * *

Time passed and memories started returning while others faded. Leon and the others could no longer remember Sora at all, but Leon had begun piecing everything from his past together. He had been a member of SeeD, an elite mercenary force. He met Rinoa when they were 17 and had seen the shooting star together at the graduation party. When they started to get to know each other, they didn't like one another. Rinoa thought of him as a self-centered jerk and he thought of her as a careless girl. Later they started understanding each other and falling in love. Squall hadn't realized how much Rinoa had meant to him until she fell unconscious and he went up into space to rescue her. That was as far as Leon's memories went with Rinoa, besides brief flashes. He remembered bits and pieces of the others. He remembered Irvine was a ladies' man and truly liked the one girl he couldn't seem to land, spunky Selphie. He remembered Zell and his hyperactivity. He remembered Quistis and her trying to break through Squall's defenses. He also remembered Seifer, the one who had given Leon the scar on his face and Rinoa's ex-boyfriend. Thinking of Seifer would always make Leon's blood boil, especially when he considered where Rinoa might be getting comfort in his absence. 

While Leon continued to research the universe and how to get back to his own, Aerith and Cloud started up a relationship. It seems that day when Leon had talked to Cloud and Cloud had run off, he had gone to Aerith and confessed his feelings for her. They kept their relationship hidden from everyone, they just weren't big into being public about their personal affairs. Leon knew of it and didn't disapprove unless word of Sephiroth got around, then he would fight Cloud about it, but word never came. A different word came though, rumblings that King Mickey was back and that there was more trouble with Kingdom Hearts. Soon after they heard these rumors their memories of Sora returned and they knew something was up and that Sora would be coming to see them soon.

They were right. Sora came a few weeks after the memory, Leon was shocked to see how much the boy had changed in a year. He was considerably taller, he no longer sounded like a high-pitched little boy, and he had an actually cool outfit. His hair had also gotten quite a bit blonder and was styled a little differently. He was no longer a scrawny boy, he was now a scrawny punk.

"Hey Sora, what's going on now?" Yuffie asked him innocently.

"Oh you know, just all the worlds are in trouble again. I'm looking for Riku again, the usual."

"Oh how's Kairi?"

"She's safe this time, thankfully," His face broke into a slight smile, he couldn't wait to see Kairi again.

"Aw little Sora is in love!" She teased.

"Yuffie, leave the kid alone!" Cid ordered her.

"I'm just having a little fun old man!" She yelled back at him. "Not that you would know what that is," she said so only Sora, Donald, and Goody could hear.

Sora explained about the new threat of the nobodies and the unusual behavior of King Mickey. He also asked about the heartless and how the restoration efforts were going.

At one point Leon and Sora went and had an encounter with the nobodies, they ended up briefly meeting some members of Organization XIII. After that Sora departed.

Leon began to intensify his search for answers and managed to find some. He found a little bit of hidden research on the nobodies, but discovered it to be blocked by the computer itself. _That's weird._ He continued looking for his own universe and found a hole in the universe he was in now. Around the hole there were lots of storms and meteors, but it was there. Leon's way home.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Sora returned. Things had gotten worse for Hollow Bastion. Heartless and nobodies were always running around. The little gang of Leon, Cloud, Aeirth, Yuffie, and Cid, called 'The Hallow Bastion Restoration Committee' was planning a full scale attack on the castle's heartless. The computer was also spitting out heartless left and right, which had to be fixed before they could attack the castle. Sora had arrived just in time.

He managed to somewhat fix the computer and befriend a program named Tron, now it was time for the battle against the massive force of heartless. The group made their way to the castle, destroying heartless after heartless. It was revealed that day that Aerith could practice her magic with ease now, thanks to Cloud. It was also revealed that Tifa had not fallen to the darkness, as was presumed, she had been searching for Cloud. This proved a little unnerving to Leon and he wanted to talk to Cloud about it, but the battle took that opportunity. At one point during the fight Leon and Cloud had ended up back to back. Their rivalistic friendship became evident in the way they fought, counting who destroyed the most heartless.

At the end of the battle Leon noticed Sora on a cliff with one of the members of Organization XIII, the leaders of the nobodies, and Maleficent. He swore that he saw Sora bow to the nobody and almost be willingly swallowed up by heartless before a bright light enveloped him. "SORA!!!!!!!!" Every member of the restoration committee called out for the boy each of them had grown to love.

None of them knew his fate until he returned a few days later to Leon's room in the apartment a few days later, alone. Leon had grown a slight stubble and he was unwashed, because he blamed himself for Sora's disappearance and had been too depressed to clean himself up.

When Leon saw the boy his face broke into a real smile, "Sora!" He exclaimed happily, until he noticed the boy's sad expression. "What wrong?" Leon's voice was full of concern.

"They have Kairi… Those stupid organization members went to my island and took Kairi! What am I supposed to do Leon?!" Tears had started going down the usually happy boy's face.

Leon ran up to Sora and actually hugged the kid, which surprised both of them. It momentarily distracted Sora from his grief about losing Kairi….again, "It'll be okay kid, I promise. Just look at your accomplishments, you'll get her back no problem!" Leon couldn't believe what he was doing. He was actually consoling someone, something that went against every fiber of his being.

"Part of my point Leon is my accomplishments. I mean I've saved a lot of worlds, but I can't seem to protect the girl who means everything to me…" The look of desperation on Sora's face was heartbreaking and it made Leon think of his own heartbreak. It made him think of the girl he left behind, the girl he could not protect, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Sora I understand, I really do, more than you know. It's just sometimes we do good things but we still get bit in the ass. It's just the dark trying to bring us down, what makes us, especially you, so strong is that fact that we overcome it. We do even more good things and pick up the pieces of what the darkness broke. Sometimes Sora we can put those pieces together perfectly, and I know that's the situation with Kairi. You'll get her back, I swear."

"You know Leon…when I came here I was going to talk to Cloud. When I first met him he talked about losing his light and I thought he could help me out a bit, but everyone could tell something was wrong with my heart and they sent me to you. Can you tell me why?" Sora asked, obviously feeling a little better about his own situation.

"So you can tease me about it later?" Leon asked cooly, only to see a hurt Sora, "Look kid I don't want to make you upset again, so how about we save that story for another time?"

"Promise?" Sora's eyes had a devious look to them.

"I promise."

"Great so now that you promised that I would get Kairi back you have to keep this one, otherwise you just fed me a whole lot of bull just to make me feel better!" Sora said excitedly.

"You are the weirdest kid I have ever met, you know that?" Sora broke into a broad smile, his hope restored, "You are also the bravest kid I've ever met."

"Thanks for your help Leon," he paused as if searching for the right words, "Just don't tell anyone anything we talked about; especially that I started crying, okay?"

"Deal." Leon said and shook Sora's hand.

* * *

A week passed and Sora returned, stronger than before and having seen more. "I'm going to the organization's stronghold soon," he told everyone seriously. "I was just wondering if there is anything you need help with before I take off."

"Tron needs a bit more help," Leon offered. Sora nodded and went off, excited that he got to see Tron again. He easily defeated the MCP and set the computer right, making it easy for Leon to access research materials.

As Sora was walking through town Aerith ran up to him. He looked at her questioningly.

"Sephiroth is in town, he's on the path to the castle. You have to get him to leave before Cloud finds out!" Sora nodded and took off running. He knew Cloud would fight Sephiroth with all his might and he might not be able to win.

Sora ran down to the area where Sephiroth was and stood there silently, watching.

Sephiroth smirked and turned around, he noticed the keyblade and placed it with the legends he had heard about a sword shaped like a key. He made the boy with the keyblade duel him.

Leon was with Cloud in Leon's apartment while the duel took place. They had been talking about Aerith and the darkness that had slowly been taking a bigger place in Cloud's heart, when suddenly Cloud stood up.

Leon gave him a questioning look, "He's here," Cloud whispered.

"Sephiroth?" Leon asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

Cloud simply nodded, his face full of frustration.

"Is Aerith there?" Leon asked his voice now full of concern.

"No, but Sora is attempting to fight Sephiroth right now."

Leon stood up, his face a mask of fury and fear, "Well go! This could be your chance, Cloud, to rid yourself of him once and for all! I'll go find Aerith!"

The two men ran out of the apartment building as fast as they could, Cloud running to the ravine, while Leon searched for Aerith. He had to find her; he had to keep her away from Sephiroth, no matter the cost.


	6. 6:Time Changes Everything, Dead Loyalty

**Time Changes Everything; Dead Loyalty**

Hey, thanks for the reviews! And I know I made Squall out of character out of character in the beginning and I'm sorry I never really explained why. I would explain now, but I've thought of a way to incorporate it in later in the story. Anyway, please Read and Review, thanks again to those that have!

* * *

"Aerith!!" Leon was calling, running down the streets. He made it to the city wall and climbed on top. He quickly scanned the area and then he easily jumped off on the other side and landed on his feet. Leon ran into the building straight ahead of him, the restoration committee's headquarters. "Aerith?" Cid and Yuffie turned to Leon, their eyes questioning. They pointed to a corner where Leon saw Aerith simply staring, he realized she already knew about Sephiroth.

She looked at Leon with worry in her eyes, "Cloud has gone to fight him hasn't he?" Leon nodded. Aerith grimaced, stood up, and said, "I hope he finds his light soon."

They walked slowly to the ravine, Leon realized there was no point in trying to dissuade Aerith from going, but he was going to do everything he could to protect her. Aerith explained that Cloud had to fight this battle alone, "If I show up, Cloud could get distracted. He could feel guilty for leaving. If the battle is still going on when we get there though Cloud may need some help."

"Which is where I come in," Leon added. Aerith nodded.

After a few silent minutes Aerith and Leon made it to the ravine only to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy staring up into the sky. Aerith walked quickly over to them, "What happened?" She asked, worry in her kind eyes.

Sora looked at Aerith sadly, "Cloud and Sephiroth fought and then Tifa showed up, she gave Cloud some light. Next, Cloud and Sephiroth went at each other and disappeared in a flash of light.

Leon raised an eyebrow while Aerith said, "Well I guess its time for me to start waiting," She walked over to the edge of the ravine and simply sat down, waiting for Cloud's triumphant return.

Leon turned to Sora, "Tifa?"

"Yeah she came by a while ago looking for Cloud and just now found him. She's gone looking for him again." Sora seemed tense with something, "Look Leon, we really gotta go, but if we see Cloud or Tifa we'll tell them to come by, okay?"

"Alright, thanks Sora."

Sora nodded and ran up the ravine, off to a place where he could teleport to his gummy ship.

"Aerith…" Leon was at a loss for words, he had never been good with comforting people. Usually him simply trying seemed to cheer people up, but he didn't think it would now.

"He'll come back, don't worry Leon," Aerith said with a smile on her face as she stared up at the sky.

Leon simply nodded, unwilling to tell her what he truly believed, "I'll see you later then," With that Leon made his way back up the ravine by himself.

* * *

Instead of returning to headquarters Leon made his way to Ansem's study, he was going to find his way home. He was tired of running from his past, it was time to face it. Leon worked tirelessly; he didn't see anything except the computer for the next few days. Finally, he decided to check on things at headquarters and he was greeted by Yuffie.

"Sora did it! He beat the nobodies! He's finally going home!!" Yuffie yelled excitedly to Leon as he entered headquarters.

"That's great!" Leon said sincerely, Sora was only 15, he deserved to get to go home and be a kid for a while.

"Oh and Leon you have a letter." Yuffie took out a folded piece of parchment, "I don't know who would send _you_ a letter, but here you go!"

Leon backed into a corner as Yuffie got out some sea-salt ice cream. He smiled slightly as Yuna, Rikku, and Paine managed to steal some and then he opened his letter. A butterfly soared out of the top and his breath stopped, he looked at the handwriting and his heart stopped.

It was from Rinoa.

* * *

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"Rinoa…" The young woman in the yellow jumpsuit said quietly.

"What?" Rinoa snapped, staring out at the blue sea from her room in the expanded Rangnarok.

"Quistis has returned from her planet wide search."

"And?"

"The darkness has overtaken the world, it was impossible to check the orphanage for Cid and Edea."

"The Garden?"

"Balamb has disappeared, but we assume it to still be under camouflage and safe. All Trabia students were successfully transferred onto Balamb before its disappearence."

"Galbadia?"

Selphie paused. This news was exceptionally bad, "Quistis discovered the remains of Galbadia Garden crashed on the Island Closest to Hell."

Rinoa shook her heard, "The worst place to crash a Garden full of students." Rinoa turned her head around to stare at Selphie. Rinoa once again noticed the changes in her good friend. Selphie was no longer the spunky 17 year old who had a cheerful attitude, but always serious about her friends. Now Selphie rarely smiled, really nobody did, so it wasn't all that shocking. Selphie's yellow dress had been replaced by a yellow fighting jumpsuit, causing maneuverability to increase, which could end up saving someone's life in these times. Selphie's eyes almost always appeared sad now.

Rinoa stared into Selphie's sad eyes searching for an answer. She found one and sighed. "No news."

"I'm sorry Rinoa, we all miss Him. We could all be unified and may even be able to defeat the darkness once and for all if we could only find Squ—"

"Tell Quistis to rest in the infirmary until you or I can check her over, she deserves the break." Rinoa cut her off and returned her gaze to the peaceful—so unlike the world—sea.

"Yes ma'am." Selphie spun around and walked out of the room.

Once Rinoa was sure that Selphie was gone, she sighed deeply. She glanced around the room that she had begun to plan before His disappearance. On the walls were pictures of them together, smiling happily. It seemed so surreal to Rinoa, being happy. She hadn't been happy in years. She saw His precious gunblade, the Lionheart, on the wall; He hadn't taken it that fateful day, Zell had been cleaning it for him.

Rinoa looked down and grabbed onto the ring of the lion He had given her so long ago, "Where are you?"

"Rinoa, are you alright?" A voice asked from her doorway. Rinoa tensed, she hated these conversations, especially with this person.

"Zell, I'm fine."

"I know, you're always fine. I'm just checking on you," Zell explained in his usual manner as he walked into her room and flopped over onto her bed, uninvited.

Rinoa glared at the double meaning of what he said, "Well now that you have checked on me, surely there's something you need to do."

Zell sat up on the bed, "Ya know, just 'cuz you're tight with Seifer and you know Squall's old secret plans doesn't mean you have the right to boss us all around like you do."

"If I didn't "boss you around" then how would anything get done?"

"Dunno. We'd figure it out somehow, we always have."

"You always _had_. When He was around."

"Well, he ain't comin back Rinoa, we best just start over with a new leader."

"And let me guess, you're suggesting yourself."

"No! Well, maybe, but Rinoa, that's not the point. We need to start over and unify SeeD like before."

"That's impossible and you know it Zell, not even Seifer can get as much support as He had when He was commander."

"That's because Seifer's an asshole."

"You only hate him because he used to call you Chicken-Wuss."

"And because he tried to kill us!" Zell exclaimed angrily. He was standing now, already shaking out of anger.

"He's different now and you know it Zell, besides it was only because he was under control of the Sorceress," Rinoa glared at Zell, "Do you intend to hold all formerly possessed Sorceress' for their crimes?"

"No, because that wasn't you Rinoa."

"Just like that wasn't Seifer. You know He would want you to forgive Seifer."

"I doubt that, but if you're gonna bring up what he would've wanted, I think I will too. He also wouldn't want you pining for him. You need to move on Rinoa."

"No, I can't move on, and He's coming back. How do you think He would feel if He saw me with someone else? "

"He's dead Rinoa!"

Rinoa's eyes flashed angrily and Zell found himself up against the wall. Rinoa glared at him harder that she ever had before, sparks seemed to be flying off of her, "How dare you say something like that!" She exclaimed, her voice echoing.

"Rinoa, calm down!" Zell yelled, he felt the pressure of her powers pushing against him.

"No. You need to realize the repercussions of treason against your commander."

"The one who hasn't been our commander in years?!" Rinoa increased the pressure against Zell, "Ow!"

Suddenly, Zell was released. He looked up to see a blond man pulling Rinoa away, "Calm down Rinoa. He didn't mean it, he's just jealous that he can't get laid when He would be able to as soon as He returns." Seifer looked over his shoulder to Zell, dislike in his tone, "Isn't that right Chicken-shit?"

Zell shook angrily again, but then he noticed the tears in Rinoa's eyes, "I'm sorry Rinoa. It's hard on all of us and sometimes we forget our composure, ya know?"

After a few seconds, Rinoa managed to get out, "I'm sorry for losing control Zell."

Rinoa broke down into more tears and Seifer gestured for Zell to leave. Zell didn't want to, but he figured he had caused enough damage for the already fragile Rinoa.

"Rinoa, he's alright. Zell is fine, you didn't hurt him."

"I was so close though, Seifer it's getting harder."

"I know Rinoa, I know, but you have to keep calm. You can't let the darkness into your heart, it will overtake you forever. If it did that then there wouldn't be a way for you to greet Him when He returns now would there?"

"How can you be sure He is coming back Seifer?"

"Because He is stronger than me and I'm here, so He's bound to still be out there. He wouldn't give up so easily on either of us Rinoa, especially you."

"I hope you're right Seifer, I really hope you're right." Rinoa said quietly before breaking down again.

Seifer looked at her sobbing form. He hated what was happening to the once optimistic Rinoa. Ever since Squall's mysterious disappearance her temper had become a lot more sensitive, and a lot more volatile. The anger that would posses her would make her feel horrible once it left leaving her like this, Seifer was sure if they could only find Squall Rinoa would gain control of herself again, before it was too late and she lost control forever.

* * *

"What'd you do?" The acid was plausible in the voice.

"Irvine, calm down man," Zell said calmly, brushing off Irvine's hands that had found their way onto the collar of his shirt.

"We felt the vibrations in the cockpit, what happened?" Irvine asked, still angry.

"I told her the truth, Squall is dead."

"You friggin' idiot!" Irvine struck Zell, "Rinoa is already on a sensitive balance, do you really want to make it worse?"

"We can't go on acting like he's going to return and save us one day! We're all different Irvine, all of us. Even if Squall were to somehow return from the grave do you really think he'd be able to just waltz back in and take control?"

"It's_Squall_ Zell, the greatest commander of all time. We all made so many sacrifices for him, we all know he could do it, we would all let him take control again."

"Irvine, you made one of the biggest sacrifices for him, and what did it get you? Nothing and nothing is what's going to happen."

"My sacrifice was my choice, and because of it I did get something…I followed Squall's orders and got Rinoa and Selphie to safety. I might have lost something important, but I received so much more."

"Are you sure Rinoa and Selphie wouldn't have made it back without you?" Zell asked, as he shoved off Irvine's wide-brimmed hat that had been covering most of his face. "Are you sure Squall made the right decision sending you up against the darkness, are you sure your sacrifice was worth it?!"

Irvine shoved Zell up against the wall, "You want to see my face Zell?" He asked, more anger in his voice than before.

Zell couldn't help blinking. He had grown accustomed to Irvine's silvery eye with the scar around it, but up close it still made him uncomfortable.

"I have proof of my loyalty Zell, where's yours?"

Irvine released Zell and he picked up his hat. As he placed back on his head the once pretty-boy began to walk away and back to the cock-pit with Selphie.

* * *

"I'm gonna go now Rinoa," Seifer whispered once the tears had stopped.

Rinoa made no response, so Seifer carefully stood up and began to walk to her door.

"He's alive."

Seifer stopped and turned around, "What?"

"I felt him. It was so long ago, I thought it was a dream, but I'm sure now. He really is alive."

"I knew it Rinoa! He's fighting for you," Seifer gave her a small smile and left the room, closing the door behind him.

_He forgot to lock it again_. Rinoa sent a spell across the room from where she was sitting on the floor so the door locked. She waited a couple of minutes to regain her composure before going to her desk and opening the secret drawer in between the two drawers on the left.

She pulled out Squall's hidden reports on his inner circle and scanned over them for probably the billionth time.

_**Seifer:**__**My biggest rival, Rinoa's ex-boyfriend. He seems to have changed since the attack on SeeD nearly two years ago, but he could just be pretending.**_

_**Irvine: He's happy with Selphie and has stopped hitting on other girls. He'd be willing to do anything for her, which may include betraying SeeD for her safety.**_

_**Selphie: She puts SeeD and safety of the Garden above Irvine and everything else. She truly cares for the students, but she has been known to have a side that wishes for peace and does not have a fear of using force. She may have struck up a deal with someone that may "end all wars."**_

_**Zell: Still the same lively upbeat boy he was two years ago. He went through a slight depression when the librarian broke up with him for Raijin and is known to have a temper.**_

_**Quistis: Extremely brilliant. Teaching the students is her top priority. She was known to have a slight crush on me two years ago, but accepted Rinoa was meant for me with apparent ease.**_

Rinoa still scowled when she read the final name, her own.

_**Rinoa: The love of my life, she seems to be happy with me. She has expressed fear for my own safety along with the others and may have struck some sort of deal to keep us safe. Also, she is the sorceress of our generation, it is possible for her to get tainted by darkness or to be possessed again. She has been known to come up with plans and follow through with them without thinking of their possible consequences.**_

Rinoa still found herself slightly annoyed and amused that she was the one with the most suspicion, but that was just how He always was, so distrustful, especially of those he was closest with.

Rinoa replaced the case file in the drawer and pulled out a flower, she placed it on the desk in front of her. She simply stared at the flower from the flowerfield near the orphanage and ran her finger over her ring. She remembered their promise they had made by that flowerfield.

"_Can I tell you a story? I had a dream. It was a scary dream. We make a promise. We promise to see shooting stars together. I get dressed up and put on your ring. But the thing is, I can't remember where I'm supposed to meet you. I started to panic. I really want to see you, Squall, but I don't know where to go. I start running through the mountains, the desert, the plains... Through Timber, Balamb, and Galbadia... When I realize I can't run any longer... I...I just want to see you so badly... So I scream, Squall, where are you!? Then I woke up. I was crying. I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything. I just felt like I had to tell you."  
"It was just a dream... It doesn't mean anything. Don't worry about it."  
"...I guess you're right."  
"How about this... I'll be here..".  
"...Why?"  
"The reason why you couldn't find me was because we haven't promised yet."  
"Promised...?"  
"I'll be waiting for you. If you come here, you'll find me. I promise._"

Rinoa lifted the flower to her nose with the hand that wasn't running over her ring. She took a sniff of the flower just as her finger brushed over the lion.

A powerful image went into Rinoa's mind. All of her surroundings disappeared to reveal none other than a much older Squall than the 19 year old she had immortalized in her mind.

He was walking in a town at night, stars over his head. She saw one of the creatures from the dark appear behind him, "Squall! Look out!" Rinoa yelled. She was so concerned about him she didn't even notice that was the first time she had said his name aloud in years. Squall turned around, as if he could hear her, and saw the thing from the darkness. Rinoa watched as he pulled out his gunblade and destroyed the creature with just one swipe, "Go Squall!" She shouted. Squall looked up in her direction, with a confused expression. "Can you hear me?" Rinoa asked, but she never got an answer because Squall began to swirl out of focus.

"No! Squall!" Rinoa shouted, desperately. To her relief she got another image of Squall. Now, he wasn't much older than 19. His hair was slightly longer and something was different about his eyes though.

He was dancing with a short girl and black hair, a wave of jealousy went through Rinoa. She watched them dance and she noticed something strange. Just the way he held himself and the way he held the girl, Rinoa realized this wasn't her Squall, this one was acting like…_a teenager._ The song ended and the short girl walked away, Squall walked towards a giant window. Rinoa joined him and looked up into the sky just as he did.

A shooting star went by and she heard Squall say quietly, "That's so cool."

Uncertainly, Rinoa whispered in his ear, "Squall?"

A glazed look went over Squall's face. For just a second Rinoa saw a flash of her Squall and smiled. She was about to say more to him when the short girl tapped him on the shoulder and then the ball began to fade from her view.

When a new image focused, Rinoa was confused. She didn't see Squall anywhere, all she saw was a man with very long hair and close to 30 hunched over a computer. Rinoa walked over to the man and noticed he was Squall. He had a frenzied look about him as he frantically typed.

"I have to find a way back," he muttered.

Rinoa smiled a little, she knew he was looking for a way home.

"There…there's a hole between universes….if I can build a ship that can survive the storms….Maybe I can make it home…." Squall began to write down coordinates on a piece of paper. Rinoa glanced at them and saw the coordinates of where Squall was and the hole. The image burned into her mind and the room with the computer began to swirl out once again.

------------------------------

Rinoa prepared herself for another image, but instead her room in the Rangnarok greeted her.

Disappointed, she stared out at the blue ocean, wondering what her visions meant. She focused on the last one and remembered the coordinates…an idea came to Rinoa. She was a sorceress, the most magic powerful human in her world. If anyone could transport something through the universe hole it would be her.

Rinoa quickly pulled out a pen and began to quickly write a letter, for the first time in ages, she felt like her old self.

_Hey Squall,_

_You miss me? Well even if you didn't I missed you! I hope you can get home soon. I'm testing this idea I have to get you this letter with my sorceress powers. If it actually works I want you to know I'm going to order a ship to be placed near the coordinates of the hole. There will be no pilot, so I hope you still remember how to fly spaceships._

_The world isn't very good right now Squall. The creatures of darkness have overridden the world, even Esthar is in danger. I still don't know who the traitor was in our inner circle and we're all still together, but it's different than how it used to be. Have you figured out any clues as to how your mysterious disappearance went down?_

_Anyway, I hope this letter gets to you soon Squall. Please know that I miss you terribly and I want you to come home as soon as you can._

_Love,_

_Rinoa_

Rinoa sealed the letter magically with her own personal seal. She concentrated on the coordinates Squall had written down on his piece of paper by the computer. Then she placed the letter flat on her desk and moved her two hands on top of it. Still concentrating she summoned her strength for a transport spell.

The spell hit the letter and it disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. Rinoa smiled, and then her world went dark.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7: Secret Messages and Missions

**Secret Messages and Missions**

**Hey sorry this chapter is pretty short. Please Read and Review and thanks to those that do! I hope you enjoy!  
**

* * *

Leon smiled, but at the same time he felt a pang of worry. He knew it would take a lot of energy to send something across a universe and he didn't want to know what that might cause for Rinoa if things were as bad as she said. Leon was happy though because she was trying to find him, at least she hadn't given up complete hope on his return.

Leon went over to Cid, "Cid, can you do me a favor?"

"Depends, what's in it for me?"

Leon paused, he had nothing to give and Cid knew it. Leon did have his brain though, "Never mind. Now that I think about it, I don't think you're the right one for the job."

"Eh? Why's that?"

"It's probably too challenging."

"Nothing is too challenging for me, what is it?"

"I need you to build me a trans-universal gummi ship within one week."

"Sorry kid that is too challenging. I've looked into it, other universes don't support the gummi system."

"Well find a way to get to another universe!" Leon was already losing patience. He had to go make sure Rinoa and the rest of his world were safe as soon as possible.

Cid saw how important this was, "Fine, kid. I have a prototype already built. I always thought it would be fun to take something into another universe, but it's always been too risky for me to send someone. I'll make some improvements on it, but I ain't guaranteeing anything, you hear?"

"Loud and clear, loud and clear," Leon said, suddenly hopeful.

Cid walked to the teleporter for his gummi garage, while Leon went back to his computer. During Leon's studies of the universe he discovered a way to communicate interworldly, computers themselves. Thanks to Tron, Radiant Garden could now be connected to the other worlds.

"Tron," Leon said, bringing back his commanding voice from his time as a military commander.

"Yes, Leon?" Tron asked eagerly.

"I need you to get a message to Sora, is that possible?"

"Of course, just give me the location and the message."

"Alright, I'm typing them in now. The planet is called Destiny Islands by the way."

After Leon finished typing everything in, Tron sped off to the center of his dataspace.

* * *

"Sora!" Sora shook his head and glanced at the problem on the board. 

"The answer is 2 root 3."

The rest of the class laughed, Sora looked around, confused.

"Next time why don't you pay attention to me instead of daydreaming about your adventure fantasies. The headmaster wants you."

"Great," Sora mumbled. As much as he missed just being a kid while on his adventures, sometimes Sora really missed fighting the heartless instead of his algebra.

Halfway to the headmaster's office Sora felt a pair of strong hands grab him. One went around his mouth, the other across his chest. Without even thinking Sora summoned the keyblade.

"Put it away Sora!" Riku said quickly as he pulled Sora into a janitor's closet.

Sora blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dark room. He noticed that he and Riku weren't the only ones in the room, Kairi was there as well.

"What's going on?" Sora asked, putting away his keyblade.

"Your mom gave me this when I cam by after you left for school this morning, _early_," Kairi said, her eyes narrowed as she said early.

"Sorry about that Kairi, I just needed extra help in algebra."

"That's beside the point," Riku said, and he motioned to Kairi.

In response Kairi pulled out a small laptop, "Your mom acted like you had had this your whole life, but I know better. I'm willing to bet it was magically brought here and false memories were implemented in your mom's mind."

"Well what does it say?" Sora asked, already excited.

Kairi smiled, she loved how quickly Sora would get amused, "We don't know yet. We were waiting for you."

Sora gave an embarrassed smile, "Sorry I took so long, I kinda zoned out in class."

"I figured you would," Riku teased. He opened the laptop and clicked on the one icon on the desktop, a small envelope.

Suddenly, a figure of Tron appeared on Sora's chest.

"Oops," Sora mumbled and he readjusted himself so Tron was standing in the middle of the three friends and not on him.

"I bring a message from Leon. He requests Sora, Riku, and Kairi all travel to Radiant Garden as soon as possible. He says there is a gummi ship that was left over Destiny Islands just in case this were to happen. He says he will explain the situation once you arrive."

"Tron! How are you?" Sora asked the figure.

Tron made no reply, instead he just disappeared.

"Tron! That's no way to treat a friend!"

"Sora…that was just a hologram, not the real Tron…" Riku explained.

"Oh…I knew that all along!"

"So when do we leave?" Kairi asked.

"Right away!" Sora shouted. He had only been back home for two weeks, but it was long enough.

"No. We need to wait," Riku interjected.

Sora was confused, "Why?"

"It could be a trap."

"From who? Both Xehanort's heartless and Xemnas are gone!"

"So? Who says they don't have supporters, just waiting for you to leave so they could take over here?"

"You're paranoid Riku!" Sora exclaimed.

"Maybe I am, how about this we wait three days. We gather some of our stuff together and then leave for Radiant Garden."

"Yes!" Sora and Kairi both shouted. Riku simply shook his head, sometimes he really did wonder about his two best friends.

* * *

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"I want to hear your voice…"

Rinoa stirred, _Am I dreaming? Is Squall back and talking to me?"_

"Rinoa…call my name…"

Rinoa slowly opened her eyes. "Squall?" She whispered.

"Rinoa!" Rinoa heard Selphie exclaim. As her vision came to a focus she saw a concerned Quistis staring over her.

"Where's Squall?" Rinoa asked weakly.

"Rinoa…" Selphie said quietly. Rinoa tilted her head to where she heard Selphie's voice and saw the young woman, pity in her gaze. "Squall isn't here."

"But I heard him. He's here, he has to be!"

"He's not, but we're here for you Rinoa," Quistis said quietly.

Rinoa was already feeling weak after having been unconscious for some time, but this talk of Squall not being there when she heard him just a second before was distressing her. She shook her head, "Squall, he's coming home. I know it."

She heard Quistis sigh and Selphie shake her head sadly.

"Can you do me a favor?" Rinoa asked them suddenly. A certain set of coordinates had just flashed through her mind.

"Yes?" Both women responded.

"I need to talk to Irvine."

"Alright. Here, I'll be right back!" Selphie said. There was a hint of excitement in her voice, just a mention of Irvine could do that to her.

Rinoa smiled a little. She liked knowing her friends could still find happiness in these troubled times. A few minutes later Selphie returned with Irvine by her side.

"Quistis, Seifer and Zell are in another fight. Should we go break it up?"

Quistis shook her head angrily, this was not the time for them to be fighting.

"Yes. I'm coming. Rinoa, take care," Quistis said as she got off her chair and walked out of the make-shift infirmary.

"What do you need, you lovely lady you?" Irvine said kindly to the broken woman.

"I need you to keep a secret from everyone, including Selphie."

"If I think it can harm someone, Rinoa, you know I have to—"

"It shouldn't."

Irvine smiled slightly at her assertiveness, it was almost like the old Rinoa, "What is it?"

"You proved several years ago that you were completely loyal to Squall, are you still?"

"Of course. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him, actually none of us would be, there is no way I wouldn't be loyal to Squall."

"Please remember that loyalty Irvine. I need you to secretly send an unpiloted ship to this point," Rinoa said as she gave Irvine the coordinates she had read off of Squall's screen.

Irvine nodded and Rinoa smiled slightly at him. The darkness began to come back in. She heard Irvine ask a Why? but her head was already far off in the distance.

"Squall come back soon," Rinoa whispered as her world returned to darkness.


	8. Chapter 8: Sickness overcomes Hope

**Sickness Overcomes Hope**

**Sorry for the delay in updating. Anyway, please Read and Review and thanks to those that have!**

* * *

**  
**

"Today's the day!" Sora shouted in Riku's house, excitement written all over his face and in his tone.

Kairi was walking in behind him, shaking her head, but a smile still on her face.

Sora ran up the stairs to Riku's bedroom, "Get up! Get up! We're going to Radiant Garden!!!!!" Sora was happier than he had been since his return home.

His happiness faded when he saw Riku still in his bed.

Kairi, confused by Sora's sudden silence, ran up the rest of the stairs. "Riku! Are you alright?" She asked concerned, when she saw the prone figure in his bed.

Riku slowly moved his head to face them, "Do I look alright?"

"What's wrong with you?" Sora asked.

"I have no idea…I have a high fever and can barely move…I heard my mother mention something about 'Monosuckious' or something."

"How long 'til you get better and we get to leave?" Sora asked, already at a decision to not leave without his best friend. He placed his hands casually behind his head.

"You leave now."

"What?" Sora dropped his hands, "No. We can't go without you Riku!"

"You can and you will. Right now, I'll only hold you back Sora. Besides, someone has to protect this world from the heartless while you're off wasting time," Riku said with a slight smirk.

"This was supposed to be our first adventure with all three of us together," Sora mumbled as he kicked Riku's bedroom floor.

"Hey," Riku said in a tough guy voice, "Don't be stupid Sora. Just because we're not around each other all the time doesn't mean we're not together. Now go, help Leon out. I'll be fine, and who knows maybe I will end up joining you, but while I'm here make up for me."

Sora nodded and left Riku's room without another word.

Kairi took a step towards Riku and brushed his hand, "Get better Riku."

"You really think I would let a stupid sickness beat me when the darkness couldn't?"

Kairi shook her head and also left Riku's bedroom behind Sora. Before she even reached the bottom of the stairs Riku was asleep again.

* * *

"Your ship is done Leon," Cid said to the anxious man.

Leon nodded, "Thanks Cid. You really did me a favor."

"Or I just gave you your death," Cid mumbled as he walked away.

Leon shook his head, he wasn't going to let a simple gap between universes get him when he was so close to Rinoa.

Now all he had to do was wait for Sora and the others. Leon hated waiting, it gave him too much time to think about things, but he would do it if it meant Rinoa and the others would be safer when he returned.

* * *

"Sora, he'll be fine," Kairi said to the uncommonly silent boy as they rowed to the island they had always played on before their adventures.

"I know he will, it's Riku…I just…I feel bad for leaving him. He got left behind before and the darkness overtook him, it almost destroyed him."

"Riku knows the price of jealousy and anger now Sora, he isn't going to get overtaken again."

"I hope you're right," Sora whispered as they made it to the dock of the Island.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and jumped onto the dock. He quickly tied the boat to it and stuck his hand out for Kairi, "Are you ready?" He asked, a smile already replacing the depressed look on his face.

"Let's do this!" Kairi exclaimed as she placed her hand in Sora's.

Hand-in-hand the two walked to the secret place in the hollow of the tree. It was a tight squeeze now, but they both made it through the small tunnel.

Sora stopped at the mysterious door with the keyhole. "I've always been afraid to seal it…I'm scared that sealing it will close us off from the other worlds…is that selfish?"

Kairi stared at Sora for a second before answering, "Maybe, but it's also natural. You don't want to give up your adventures; you don't want to settle down to a life on this island already. It's completely understandable Sora."

"But is it right?" Sora shook his head, dismissing the thought. He hated to really think about things, it made life harder to get through,"Well, shall we go?"

Kairi smiled, "I'd thought you would never ask."

Leon's letter had told them to find a place by the world's keyhole that meant a lot to them, then they could teleport to the gummi ship. The two walked to their papou fruit exchange drawing and placed their hands on the interlocked beams. Suddenly, Sora and Kairi disappeared off of Destiny Islands and onto a familiar gummi ship.

* * *

"Yo Rinoa," Zell said quietly as he entered the infirmary late one night. Seifer and everyone else had done their best to keep him out, apparently they thought he would molest her or something. All their efforts really did were make him angry and more determined to see her.

"Why can't you just wake up and forget him?" Zell paused and walked closer to Rinoa's unconscious form. The usually loud young man was speaking in hushed tones, "You know I miss him too right? I just think we shouldn't spend out time moping over his disappearance…"

Zell took a few more steps closer to her bed.

"The circumstances were so strange Rinoa. They're almost like a sign to us, a sign that maybe his destiny lay somewhere else. A sign that you…" Zell paused and he lightly caressed her face, "that you belong with someone else."

"If she was to belong with someone else it wouldn't be with you Chicken-shit," Seifer sneered from the doorway. "Now get out before I kick your ass."

Zell turned and stomped his foot on the ground, "Why are you so hostile towards me!?"

Seifer took two large steps and grabbed Zell by the collar. He held him high in the air, which made it impossible for Zell to hit things and create a ruckus. Seifer whispered to Zell's raised face, "Simple. I don't like you and you make things a lot harder for Rinoa. She misses Squall and clings to the hope that he'll return, without that hope she has_nothing._ But for some strange reason you keep trying to take that hope away, why would I like you after you do that?"

"She deserves better! She doesn't deserve to cling to a false hope! Squall isn't coming back, why can't you guys face that obvious truth!?"

"Why are you so certain Zell? Do you think someone made it so he couldn't return?"

"Maybe!" Zell yelled. He was starting to feel the lack of oxygen in his brain.

"Who's to say it wasn't you? You're the only one out of us sure he won't return. You're the only one lusting for power. You're also the only one lusting for his girl. Sounds to me Zell, you're the only one with a motive!" With that Seifer dropped Zell and spun on his heel, quickly leaving the infirmary.

Zell looked at Rinoa with a guilty expression before following Seifer.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9: Watching the Sky

**Watching the Sky**  


**Sorry it's been such a long time since my last update. I'm on Spring Break now so hopefully I can write quite a bit more for this story. **

**Please Read and Review and thank you so much to those that have!**

* * *

"It's been too long," Sora said, slowly breathing in the air of Radiant Garden's marketplace.

Kairi laughed, "Sora, you were here just a few weeks ago. You went much longer before."

Sora put his hands behind his head, smiling, "Yeah, but that was by choice Kairi."

"Being asleep for a year was a choice?"

"Technically—"

"SORA! KAIRI!"

The two teenagers turned to see a short young woman around 24 with jet black hair running towards them.

"Hey Yuffie!" Sora exclaimed while he waved excitedly.

"I can't believe you guys actually came! I thought you would be tired of adventures or something! Leon might actually be something related to happy when he sees you're here!" Yuffie glanced around for the first time, "Where's Riku?"

An ashen look crossed Sora's face and he made no reply. Kairi took a step forward and placed a comforting hand on Sora's arm. She answered Yuffie's question, "He's really sick. Sora didn't want to leave without him, but Riku is stubborn and told us to come."

"That's a mega-bummer…" Yuffie said quietly. After a few seconds of silence she asked, "Well, shall we go to headquarters and meet up with Leon?"

"Yeah sure," Sora said, a smile already returning. "Hey Yuffie do you know why Leon wants us here?"

"I have an idea, but you know Leon, he keeps to himself mostly so I don't know much. I bet he'll tell you when we get to headquarters though."

* * *

"Sora, you actually came." Leon said when he saw Sora and Kairi walk through the doors. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Yuffie shake her head slightly, Leon assumed that meant to not ask them about the missing Riku.

"Of course!" Sora exclaimed. "You actually think I would miss an adventure?"

"You seemed happy three weeks ago to finally go home and spend time with Riku and Kairi."

"That's because I forgot how boring it was. All we wanted to do before was get away, why would things be different now?"

"Because you've been away for so long?"

Kairi interrupted the off-topic conversation, "So Leon, why do you need our help?"

"I need your help to save my home world."

"Our help?" Sora asked. "Leon you're really strong, you don't need us."

"Thanks for the compliment Sora, but my world was overtaken before because I overestimated myself, I'm not going to make that mistake again. As far as I can tell the heartless on my world are mostly shadows and knights, but there are thousands of them….per city. I need numbers Sora, the more the better." Leon had a hidden meaning behind what he said, but Sora didn't pick up on it.

"If we need more people why don't we take Yuffie and Aerith too?" Sora asked.

"This is where they belong, not there. Sora, you and Kairi are the only ones I think who can cross universes safely."

"Why us?" Kairi asked.

"Sora is the keyblade master and you can wield a keyblade Kairi. I have a suspicion you two will be safe because of that."

"Only a suspicion? Leon, they're only kids!" Cid exclaimed. He wasn't fond of the idea that Leon was crossing universes, but it was his life. He hated the thought that Sora and Kairi were getting dragged into this and their safety wasn't guaranteed. "A suspicion isn't good enough for this!"

"Cid, I've researched this considerably. Aerith agrees with me too. I wouldn't risk Sora and Kairi's lives based off of a mere feeling."

"Hey where is Aerith anyway? Has Cloud come back yet?" Sora said, his minimal attention span when it came to safety coming into effect.

Leon turned to Sora, "Aerith is at the ravine still waiting for Cloud."

"Can Kairi and I go say hi?"

"You might at well say bye. We're leaving tomorrow if that is alright with you."

"It's fine. Are we staying at your apartment?"

"You're in Cloud's room, Kairi can stay with you or with Aerith."

"Hey Sora can you give Aerith this?" Yuffie asked holding up a small sack.

"Yeah sure," Sora said as he took the sack. From the smell of it he could tell it was a bunch of food. "Okay, see you later Leon! Bye Yuffie! Bye Cid" 

With that Sora and Kairi ran off to the ravine.

* * *

"Sora, are you sure about this?" Kairi asked him on their way.

"About what? Saying hi to Aerith?"

"No, about this mission. It sounds really dangerous."

Sora looked up at the blue sky in between the cliffs that rose above the path to the ravine. He remembered the desperation he felt when he was separated from Kairi, he imagined Leon was feeling the same thing only worse because it had been so long. 

"Kairi, I'm sure that I want to go. We're Leon's only hope to rescue the ones he loves. I'll understand if you don't want to go Kairi, but I owe it to Leon. He helped me out so much over the past two years without asking for anything back, helping him save his friends is the least I can do to repay him. I have to go with him."

Kairi's eyes were full of admiration for Sora. He was as caring and considerate as a fifteen year old boy ever got. "I'll go too Sora, I just wanted to make sure you realized what you were getting into."

"I never know what I'm getting into," Sora said under his breath. Kairi didn't have time to ask Sora what he meant for they had just arrived at the ravine to see Aerith sitting at the edge of it, staring into the blue sky.

* * *

"I don't like the idea of you taking two kids Leon," Cid said once Sora and Kairi were gone.

"Those two, and Riku, aren't just ordinary kids Cid. They have special powers, I'm not exactly sure what, but they have them. Think about it, Sora and Kairi are the only two people to ever rejoin with their nobodies. Riku has walked the path of darkness, the path of dawn, and he can probably walk the path of light. I don't know anyone that can walk all three and he's only sixteen. I would never risk three people so full of promise if I wasn't sure Cid."

"Are you 100 sure they'll be able to cross the universal gap?"

Leon made eye contact, "Nothing is 100 sure. Someone once told me that there are no guarantees in the future and they were so right...about everything." Leon looked out the window and at the sky, he wished he could say it was the same sky Rinoa was looking at, but it wasn't. There comfort in the vast openness that some people find within it was not there for Leon.

"I don't want them going without a guarantee for their safety."

Leon broke his gaze from sky and made eye contact with Cid. "Damn it Cid, don't you see? There is never a guarantee that someone will be safe! You could be as happy as can be one day, going out a picnic with your girlfriend and one of your best friends with his girlfriend when you get blindsided and attacked! You could be living a perfectly safe and risk-free life when you suddenly get sick and never recover. Cid, if I were to leave them here I couldn't guarantee their safety. The only thing I can guarantee is that with each day, my world gets into more trouble."

Cid blinked. He realized Leon's speaking of a picnic was what happened to him, but he didn't know if Leon knew that. "Fine take those kids, but if something happens, I swear I'll make you pay even if you're already dead."

"I'll make myself pay Cid, you don't have to worry about that."

Cid knew he meant it too.

* * *

"Hey Aerith," Sora said as they walked close to the woman.

"Sora! Back already? And with Kairi?"

"We're just doing a favor for Leon, we'll be gone by tomorrow. You don't have to worry about us annoying you for too long."

"You being here doesn't worry me Sora, it's when you leave that worries us all."

"Aw c'mon," Sora said in his usual carefree tone as he plopped down next to Aerith. Kairi came over and sat on his other side. "You know I can take care of myself against those lame old heartless."

"The heartless don't worry me, it's your heart. How many more battles can one heart, no matter how strong it is, take Sora? You fight again and again, you fight for your friends, for people you don't know, and you don't seem to weaken, but do you Sora? Does your innocence fade with every swipe of your keyblade?"

Sora looked up at the brilliantly blue sky again. He didn't know the answer, he knew he was different than when he had first started on the journey, but it had been a good change. He learned to appreciate what he had more, to not take the people in his life for granted, no matter how bored or annoyed he got with them.

"Sora's innocence may fade," Kairi started to answer Aerith's question. "But the strength of his heart will not. If anything it may strengthen from his battles, because he realizes the difference he makes in people's lives."

"Even if the enemies keep coming, never ceasing?"

"Even if the enemies keep coming because he knows people are safe due to his fighting and if he stopped for a second those people wouldn't be safe much longer. Sora knows he makes a difference."

Sora smiled as he continued to stare up at the sky. He loved how Kairi knew what to say about these kind of things, he was never good when it came to seriousness.

"I hope that's the truth," Aerith said thoughtfully. "I hope you two remain with each other forever, if you become separated permanently, your hearts might not make it."

Sora switch his gaze from the sky to Aerith, "What?"

Aerith now turned to stare up at the sky, the same sky Cloud could see, "Your hearts are connected Sora. If you were to sever that connection, consequences will ensue."

"We won't," Kairi said forcefully. She had complete confidence that she and Sora would remain in each other's lives forever, Riku beside them the whole time.

"What about you Aerith?" Kairi asked the young woman. "Does your innocence slip away with every battle?"

"Yes. I lost my best friend at 14 and never got her back. Until recently I believed the darkness had consumed her. I watched a man who had so much lose it all and be consumed with thoughts of revenge on the one responsible. I watched a confused teenager stumble through life, desperately trying to remember his past and when he finally did, I watched him harden. I watched a young boy desperately try to find his two best friends only to see one of them had lost her heart and the other had decided to follow the path of darkness. I watched a young man struggle daily with his own darkness until he couldn't take it anymore so he left everything behind to destroy it forever…I've seen all these things and I don't know how many truly good things there are left in this life."

Sora grinned at Aerith. She found herself a little surprised by this, but realized she should've been expecting it. Sora said in his most thoughtful tone, "Well think about how all those things turned out. Your best friend is alive and definitely kicking. That man, who I guess is Ansem the Wise, he sacrificed himself so others could live in peace. The hardened teenager is going to see all his old friends soon and help save them. The young man is going to fight so he can live with his girlfriend without worrying about his own darkness destroying her. And that young boy—who really is a teenager not a boy—he is happy with his life. He got both of his friends back. Now tell me Aerith, what truly bad things are left in life?"

Aerith returned a smile, "I guess you're right. I should go back to my optimistic ways shouldn't I?"

"Yeah!" Sora exclaimed.

"Hey Aerith, Yuffie wanted us to give you some food," Kairi handed Aerith the small sack of food.

"Thanks for bringing it you two. Do you want some?"

Kairi started, "No thanks—"

"Yeah food!" Sora exclaimed as he helped himself.

* * *

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"You are to pilot a double-engined spaceship to this location, then you are to break it off into two parts. You will leave half of it there and return with the other half. Understood?" Irvine was talking to a star pilot, who had managed to remain in space throughout the years and away from the planet's danger.

"Yes sir. I wish you luck with whatever you're planning."

"Thank you. Over and out."

Irvine hung up and placed his hands on his face. He didn't know what Rinoa was planning and why he had to command a pilot to move and abandon a perfectly good spaceship. He didn't even know if Rinoa had been in her right mind when she asked him to do this. After all, she had just woken up from a coma and right after asking him she had gone unconscious again, it was highly likely she would forget ever issuing that order.

But all the same, Irvine had promised Squall all those years ago he would forever respect Rinoa and listen to her, she knew more than she let on.

Irvine pulled a picture out of his coat pocket. It was a picture of himself, Selphie, Rinoa, and Squall. He smiled slightly. 

"Ah man I miss you Squall, you would know how to get us of this mess…You wouldn't be doubting Rinoa right now either," Irvine said to the picture. He really did like the photo, mainly because all of them happened to be smiling.

Squall may have smiled a lot more once he and Rinoa got together, but he still had the habit of glaring in pictures. But on that particular day, he had smiled for the camera that Selphie had a timer set up on.

It was really rather eerie, Irvine felt, since the day this particular photo had been taken, had been the day Squall disappeared.

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* * *

Leon couldn't sleep. How was he expected to when the next day he was going to pilot two kids across a universal barrier and see his true love again? Everyone else had gone to bed already, he didn't know, nor did he want to, if Sora and Kairi had both gone into Cloud's room. Leon did know that Aerith hadn't gone to bed yet.

After a few more minutes Leon climbed out of his small bed and changed into his clothes. He grabbed his gunblade, even though there weren't supposed to be anymore heartless in this world he still took it. Quietly, he walked towards the ravine where he knew Aerith would be. 

"I knew you would come," The sad woman said when Leon got within a few feet of her. He kept his hands out of his sight, he had a surprise for Aerith.

"I couldn't sleep," Leon said as he sat down next to her on the cliff's edge.

"Of course you can't. There's too much pressure on you."

A silence fell between the two friends. Leon had a painful expression on his face before finally managing to say, "Thank you Aerith."

"For what?"

"For always being there, for pushing me to remember. If it hadn't been for you, I never would have remembered Rinoa or anyone else, I would still be a carefree idiot with a hole in my heart."

"You would have remembered eventually without me."

"You know I'm not good at this Aerith, but you deserve my thanks and that's a fact."

"Maybe…" She said distantly. Had Cloud still been around she probably would have teased Leon, but without him she felt as if she had lost a part of herself.

Leon reached behind his back and pulled out what he was hiding. "Here, I think you should have these." He gave Aerith a small bouquet of flowers. "I'll charge less than you and make them free."

Aerith gave him a smile, "Cloud always liked my flowers."

"Cloud always liked you," Leon added.

"Do you think he'll ever come back?"

"Of course he will. He's fighting so he can get rid of his darkness then he'll return to his source of light, you."

Aerith nodded, grateful that even though he was emotionally distant, Leon knew how to make her feel better. She leaned into him out of exhaustion. Leon immediately tensed, but he realized this could his last moment with Aerith and just let her lay against him.

"I'll be sad without you," She said quietly.

"I'll miss you too. You were my best friend here Aerith, you got me through the bad times. I'll never be able to thank you."

"You just did Leon."

"Can you promise me something?"

Aerith nodded. Her eyes were closed as she leaned on Leon.

"Be careful with Cloud. Sephiroth is trickier than even he suspects."

"What are you saying Leon?" 

Leon frowned, Aerith wasn't supposed to get suspicious. "Sephiroth wants to hurt Cloud and he might go after you to hurt him the most."

Aerith smiled, "Cloud won't let that happen Leon."

Leon looked up at the stars. He wondered if maybe the universes really did share the same sky and if the alternative Cloud was looking up missing Aerith like this Aerith was missing her Cloud. _If only that were true Aerith._

"Just be careful alright?"

Aerith moved her position so she could look into his blue-gray eyes, concerned. She almost smiled again as realized that the more he remembered of his past life the bluer his eyes got, as if he was happier. She wanted him to stay happy, "Of course I will."

"Good."

The two spent the rest of the night staring up into the starry sky together.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10: Real Hope versus False Hope

**Real Hope versus False Hope**

**I'm very sorry that it has been so extremely long since my last update. My excuse is probably stupid, but my English teacher told me she didn't think I had any writing ability save for a few "glimpses" and so I lost any inspiration to write anything for awhile. I'm sorry about that…here's the next chapter…Please Read and Review.**

* * *

"Leon…your old world…you were set up weren't you?" Aerith asked early the next morning.

Leon looked away. He hated thinking one of his friends had betrayed him, and he hated to think of what that friend had done since his disappearance. "Aerith I really don't want to talk about this—"

"But you have to Leon. You don't know the exact condition of your world. Really, the letter from Riona could have been a trap to get you to return."

"It wasn't," Leon said. He was sure the letter was really from Riona, there were some things he simply knew.

"My point is Leon some might not be thrilled your back and you don't know what condition you'll be in when you make it to your world."

"What are you saying Aerith?"

"You need a disguise and I can give you one. It will last until you want it removed or until three people from your world recognize you. Is that alright?"

Leon considered saying no. He had long envisioned his triumphant return to Garden and his world. In this dream everyone was pleased to see him, Rinoa would jump into his arms, and all would be well. However, Leon had to face the facts. That dream wasn't a reality. At least one person had tried to kill him before, who was to say they wouldn't try again?

Leon sighed, "Fine. Aerith do your best to make me unrecognizable."

Aerith smiled and pulled out her rod. She did a fancy twirl and pointed it at Leon, completely transforming his appearance.

* * *

"Ready to go Kairi?" Sora asked the next morning while he stretched in the central square as they waited for Leon.

"Yep, how about you Sora?"

"Of course I am!" The teenager exclaimed, the excitement obvious in his voice.

"Good. We're leaving in ten minutes," Leon said behind the pair.

Sora started to turn around to face Leon, "Finally! Geesh Leon, I was thinking you would nev—" Sora forgot what he was saying when he saw the man standing behind him.

In front of Sora was a man with short red hair and dark green eyes. He had a similar build to Leon, but was a few inches taller, probably around 6'1". He had the same voice as Leon though. There was also no trademark scar across his face.

"Do you like it?" Aerith asked as she came up from behind who Sora thought, but wasn't sure, was Leon.

"Le-Leon?!" Sora yelled.

Leon rolled his eyes as Sora ran up to him to get a closer look.

"Sora, it's me alright!" Leon exclaimed with annoyance once Sora had pulled on his cheeks.

"Wow Aerith you really did a good job!" Sora said with pure awe to the woman.

"Thanks Sora! Kairi what do you think?"

"It's hard to believe that that's Leon."

"Well, that is the point. It might not be good for people to recognize him until he's ready, so you guys have to keep his real identity a secret okay?"

"Right!" Sora and Kairi both said and nodded.

A gruff voice rang out in the morning air, "So this is it kid. I never thought seven years ago it would take you so long to leave us."

"I'll always remember how much you helped Cid," Leon said. He wasn't making eye contact with the older man. He had been dreading all the goodbyes that he knew would be coming, even though he hoped they wouldn't.

"It was no problem, but I do require a payback."

Leon gave Cid a skeptical expression, he wasn't expecting Cid to want something back at the last second. "What?"

"Keep yourself, Sora, and Kairi safe. All our efforts on you would be wasted if you died now."

Leon nodded to confirm that he would.

"Let's go," Leon commanded Sora and Kairi. The latter two eagerly ran for the point to teleport to the trans-universal gummi ship while Leon walked with a more deliberate pace. He didn't know if he would ever see Radiant Garden again, therefore he was trying to remember as much of it as possible.

Suddenly, Leon felt a pair of hands on his shoulder. He turned around to see who it was only to hear a pair of feet gracefully land in the direction he had been in before he turned.

Leon sighed. Without looking over he said, "Yuffie."

Yuffie asked while Leon turned to face her, "Trying to sneak away without saying goodbye?"

Leon shrugged, "I hate goodbyes."

"A painful goodbye is better than no goodbye at all."

Leon felt some of his former cynicism return, "Why?"

Yuffie blinked. She hadn't expected Leon to turn the tables around on to her. After a moment of consideration she said, "It gives the people involved a sense of closure."

"That's all it is though, a sense. It isn't something real and even if you get to say goodbye sometimes it isn't enough."

"You weren't always like this Leon," Yuffie said quietly. "You changed once you remembered who you were. Maybe you were better off without your memories."

"No Yuffie. I was living a false life when I first came here. These memories are the real me, the façade I wore when I first arrived to hide my pain was not my real self. I was always pessimistic, Rinoa got me to change though…"

Yuffie's face broke into her usual grin, "Tell her hi for me will you?"

"I will," Leon said.

"Take care Leon of your world, Sora, Kairi…and yourself."

"I will," Leon said again.

"I'll miss you," Yuffie whispered under her breath. Leon didn't hear for he had already turned around and was steadily walking towards the teleport point.

"Leon! Wait!"

Leon turned his head while he once again rolled his eyes. _Am I ever going to get to leave?_ His annoyance disappeared when he saw it was Aerith running after him.

"What's up Aerith?"

"You almost forgot this!" Aerith exclaimed as she pulled out a small knife from her jacket. "I found this in the boot you wore when you first arrived here, remember?"

Leon smiled a little. He carefully took the knife out of Aerith's hands and studied it. Engraved on the side was the word Lion. He then held the knife up into the direct sunlight and watched the lettering change so it read Heart. The knife had always been a reminder of Rinoa and the way she had impacted his life in such a jagged and messy way. The knife also reminded him of the pain of life without her and the dullness of his life when he forgot her, his own ray of sunlight. He remembered how she always brightened up his life, like how the sun brightened the dull coloring of the knife.

"Thank you Aerith," Leon said seriously, still staring at the knife.

"I really will miss you." Leon looked up from the knife and to his surprise he saw small teardrops in Aerith's eyes.

Without even thinking he grabbed at the chain on his neck where he kept three rings. One was the ring Yuffie had stolen, one was a carbon copy of the ring with Griffin on it that Zell had made years before—Rinoa had the real one—, and the third ring was one from Ellone. On it was a miniature lion. He pulled the third ring off and placed it into one of Aerith's hands.

"Someone very special gave me this ring when I was a little kid," Leon began to explain. He was looking past Aerith and not making eye contact. "She meant everything to me, but she had to go away for a while. When she left she gave me this ring and told me the miniature lion, although small, had plenty of courage and would watch over me. She said the lion's name changed for every owner, matching who they wanted to give them protection. For this girl it was Laguna, for me it was Ellone, and Aerith, now the ring is yours and the miniature lion's name is whatever name you want."

Aerith gave Leon a small smile. "I'll always remember you Leon, but I'll always know who you are meant to be and for that, I'm naming the lion Squall Leonhart. Good luck Squall, and be careful."

Leon finally made eye contact with her, "You too Aerith. I'll be listening for you if you ever need me." Once again he glanced away, "Really, thank you for reminding me that I'm Squall Leonhart and for everything else you've done for not just me, but everyone."

Aerith reached out her hand and Leon briefly grabbed it. The gesture was not much and did not consist of as much touching as the night before, but it was enough for the two. It was a way of saying goodbye to each other.

After a short second of eye contact, Aerith turned and walked back to the ravine where Cloud had disappeared from. Leon turned as well and walked to the teleport circle where he finally departed Radiant Garden and made his way onto the gummi ship.

* * *

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"Remember where we found Bahumut, that tiny island hidden in the middle of the ocean? I think that's where they're all hiding," Irvine said while Selphie sat on his lap at breakfast one morning.

"How could they manage to fly there though? I mean, we only managed to get to it on the Ragnarok, that big bulky thing could never manage to get there."

"I bet Nida could manage it somehow. Though if they had you, I know that's where they would be. Your talent could easily have flown them there."

"Not really. If I was there I would be too busy standing in the corner of the classroom missing you."

"No you wouldn't be, because I would be there. I'll never leave you Selphie," Irvine said with a small smile.

Selphie returned the smile as she leaned her head up to reach Irvine's lips. Their mouths collided and the two forgot where they were, to them, it was like they were 17 again, back when everything was good in the world.

"I'm eating here you know," Zell said, interrupting the pair.

"Well then leave. You're a mood killer Zell," Irvine said with his smug grin.

"Man, you two were never so lovey-dovey when Rinoa was awake."

Irvine's grin fell of his face and Selphie stood up. She walked over to an empty seat by the table with a guilty expression across her features.

"You know exactly why that is Zell," Quistis said harshly as she strode into the room. "We're all still young, let us enjoy the few moments we can without immature comments."

"Are you saying we should enjoy the moments where Rinoa is inexplicably in a coma?"

"By no means. What I'm saying Zell, is we can't all be worried about Rinoa right now, more worry would drive us all insane. We saw Squall try to leave us because of worry all those years ago, we can't have that happen again with anyone else in these dangerous times.

"But we can't act like nothing is wrong!"

"We're not Zell. Quistis and I are trying to figure out how to heal Rinoa as much as we can, it's just that as far as we can tell, it's up to Rinoa as to when she wakes up," Selphie said.

"You guys have to be missing something!" Zell exclaimed. He slammed his fist on the table so it shook all the plates and silverware. He said under his breath, "Squall wouldn't give up so easily." Then Zell left the room.

"Did he make a reference to Squall just now?" Irvine asked, the shock evident in his voice.

"I think he did," Quistis said. Surprise was also in her voice.

"That's a first," Selphie added. After a brief pause Selphie asked Quistis, "Hey Quistis where do you think Balamb Garden is?"

"I'm suspecting it's hidden in Esthar. You know the rules that Laguna installed don't you?"

Irvine and Selphie both nodded solemnly. "Nobody goes in, nobody goes out. Nobody from the outside can even see it, despite whether or not they've been there before," Irvine said.

"Yes. We haven't been able to locate Balamb since Esthar disappeared so my bet is that it's there."

"Let's just hope Laguna's plan for safety worked," Selphie said with a slight sigh, voicing the hope of the others on the ship, except one's.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11: The True Journey Home

**The True Journey Home  
**

**I have recently discovered just how busy and stressed I will be for the next six weeks. Usually in order to relieve my stress I write, but I don't have the time to write that much anymore. What I'm trying to say is I cannot guarantee regular updates for the next six weeks. I will try to update as much as possible, but I make no promises for how many. Once summer comes though, I can promise the updates should dramatically increase. Sorry for the delay for this chapter by the way.  
**

**Thank you all for your patience and your support for my last chapter. By the way, Angel Sorano (and anyone else who cares) I am by no means friends with my English teacher. :) I was actually caught making faces at her during state exams today O:)…I know, how incredibly mature….**

**Please Read and Review, it really does make my day.**

**By the way there is a flashback scene in this chapter and it is in italics, the thoughts are then in bold italics.**

* * *

"C'mon Leon, tell us about who you used to be!" Sora begged for probably the fiftieth time since they had started traveling two days before.

"He's not going to relent you know," Kairi said as she tried to sleep on a chair in the cockpit.

Leon stared at the universal map, searching for a way to distract the easily distracted Sora.

"Please Leon! I don't know anything about your past!" Leon still didn't say anything so Sora offered, "If you tell me something about your past, I'll tell you something about me."

"I don't care Sora."

"That hurts Leon."

"I know more about who you are and your past than I ever would wish to, I really don't care about anything else."

"Fine. Be a jerk and keep us in the dark about your past even though we gave up our perfectly normal lives to help you."

Leon sighed, "I guess I'll tell you a little."

"Yes!" Sora shouted excitedly.

Kairi opened her eyes and changed positions in her seat so she could better pay attention to Leon's tale as well.

Leon began, "When I was 17 I was studying to become a SeeD, an elite mercenary force. My school's name was Balamb Garden and my bitter rival was Seifer Almasy."

Neither Sora nor Kairi wanted to interrupt and ruin the rare moment of Leon opening up.

Leon closed his eyes and let the memories come over him. He continued, "I didn't have friends because I didn't want to rely on people. When I was younger the one person I had depended on, Ellone, left, so I thought all others would too. I was a cold jerk to everyone. One day Seifer cut me across the face and I passed out after I returned the favor. One of my instructors, Quistis Trepe, came and got me out of the infirmary. That day was my final exam to gain SeeDhood. I was placed on a team with Zell Dincht and Seifer. Later, Selphie Tilmitt joined us. We went to a city named Dollet that was being invaded by Galbadian forces. Selphie, Zell, and I fought on top of a radio tower and were chased by a giant machine back to our boats. We passed the exam while Seifer failed. That night there was a party for all the SeeD graduates. At one point I glanced up to the sky," Leon paused as the memory of the ball came back to him in full force. His voice took on a dreamy tone as one of his fondest memories washed over him, "And a shooting star went by. I looked down and in front of me was a girl. She simply pointed up to the sky and then walked over to me. After a few minutes of begging she and I danced…I didn't see her for the rest of the night. The day after Zell, Selphie, and I got our first mission. We were to assist a resistance movement called the Timber Owls. They were resisting Galbadian occupation in Timber. I was told to wake up the "princess" and was warned she was grumpy when woken up. I went to her room only to see the girl from the night before, Rinoa."

Leon smiled a little before continuing, "We didn't get along at first. I was too harsh, she didn't think things through enough. I was too cold, she was too passionate… Eventually Seifer, who it turned out was Rinoa's ex-boyfriend, teamed up with the sorceress. Selphie, Quisitis, Zell, Rinoa, and I teamed up with Irvine Kinneas to fight the sorceress. Rinoa and I started to grow closer and everyone wanted us together, but I was too stubborn to let anyone get truly close to me, I was too scared they would disappear…so no matter how hard they tried, I pushed them all away."

"Until?" Kairi asked, knowing a change was coming right around the corner.

"Until Galbadia Garden, with the sorceress and Seifer on board, came to fight us. It was an extremely rough battle, but we "won" it. The sorceress returned to her normal kind state as Edea Kramer…But Rinoa was left unconscious. For someone who rarely showed emotion, I showed a lot of it during those days. Everyone knew all I could think about was Rinoa even though we were facing a huge crisis. A sorceress from the future named Ultimecia wanted to compress time and destroy everything by possessing current sorceresses and tracking down Ellone, who had the ability to send people to the past."

"What happened to Rinoa though?!" Sora asked.

"I felt like nobody understood the pain I was in, the suffering I was going through. So one day we were at a town that supposedly connected to the futuristic continent of Esthar. I hoped that in Esthar they could fix Rinoa. I left my friends that day, I abandoned the Garden I was responsible for."

Leon softly hit his seat with his fist. "It was irresponsible, I know that, but all I could think about was Rinoa. You're stronger than me Sora. No matter how hopeless things seemed, you always put your mission above your wants…."

"Leon…I didn't know how or where Kairi was, remember I didn't want to go at first, but you told me if I went with Donald and Goofy I would find her? Had Kairi been by me in a coma…I don't know what I would have done," Sora said sympathetically.

Leon continued on with his story without making a reply, "I confessed a lot of things to Rinoa's unconscious body, more than I ever would have…After a day of me carrying her on my back across the railroad tracks, my friends intercepted us.

"They knew exactly what I was planning…and they wanted to help. I'll never forget that. We made it to Esthar and met my father who told us the one who I thought could cure Rinoa, Ellone, was in space. So the unconscious Rinoa, one of my friends, and I went to space."

Leon stopped telling his story and looked out the window at space and remembered that troubling experience.

"What happened in space?" Kairi asked slowly.

"I found Ellone. I asked her to help me wake Rinoa up. She tried…but we were interrupted."

"C'mon Leon! What happened?" Sora asked, the curiosity and impatience written all over his face as Leon once again paused.

"We heard noises from a different part of the ship. I ran down to see the doctor in charge of Rinoa on the ground. Rinoa was awake, but she wasn't herself. I couldn't even get near her without being thrown away. I chased her around the ship, except I couldn't stop her since I couldn't get close, no matter how hard I tried. She put on a space suit and went out into space by herself. She released a sorceress whom my father had frozen years before. With the release of Adel came the dropping of thousands of monsters from the moon down to the surface of my world. My friend, Ellone, and the head doctor shoved me into an escape pod and we flew away from the ship, leaving Rinoa by herself in the middle of space."

"What?! Leon! How could you?!" Sora shouted. The level of respect he felt for Leon suddenly dropping a few points.

"Sora, we're going to help Rinoa now, he obviously made up for it," Kairi pointed out. "Let him finish the story."

"I had Ellone show me Rinoa's recent past. I saw some of the things she had done, revealing how she felt about me. I saw when she passed out and I realized what had happened. After that I left the space pod against the head doctor's advice and against all odds of survival. I flew out into open space and managed to catch Rinoa. Somehow, we found an abandoned space ship and were able to get to it," Leon once again paused in his story.

Sora asked, "What happened on the ship?"

"Sora," Kairi started, demonstrating her perceptiveness, "I think that's a little personal."

"Huh?" Sora glanced between Leon, who was once again looking away, and Kairi. "Oh!" He exclaimed when he got the meaning.

"We got back to the planet and I had to rescue Rinoa, who it turned out had been possessed by Ultimecia the whole time, from getting the same fate Adel had had. We went back to my childhood home and made a promise. Afterwards all my friends and I realized that we had to compress time ourselves to get to Ultimecia's time and kick her ass. We got to her castle where she placed restrictions on us, but we were able to get our abilities back and face her. We won the fight…Except the victory was at a price."

Sora immediately responded, "What price was that?"

"When we compressed time, we knew there was a chance we wouldn't turn up in the right time together. We did get to Ultimecia's castle fine though. On the way back we didn't. Or well, I didn't. I got lost from everyone…including Rinoa."

"Is that how you got to Radiant Garden?"

"No. Actually, that's how I died…painfully," Leon answered. Unconsciously, he brought his hand over his shoulder to where the painful ice blade had once wounded him. He brought his head up and stared straight up at the ceiling just as he had when he died.

"You're dead!?" Sora exclaimed and jumped out of his seat.

"Rinoa used her new sorceress powers to locate me. She used her power, her love, and the power of the promise we had once made to bring us back to our time and place. She also managed to bring me back to life. I owe her everything."

"Aw Leon, that's so sweet," Kairi commented with a smile.

"The next two years were the happiest of my life. We were rebuilding our world to be a peaceful—and dull as hell—place. SeeD were no longer mercenaries, but protectors of the peace. I was with Rinoa, Irvine was with Selphie, Headmaster Cid was retiring and it was likely he would put me in charge of the Garden along with my job as Commander of SeeD unless I wanted to quit with Rinoa."

Sora interrupted, "The heartless ruined everything didn't they?"

Leon simply nodded.

"That's why you hate them so much."

Leon began to explain, "I was at a picnic with Rinoa, Selphie, and Irvine. I had heard rumors of a traitor in one of my friends, but I didn't honestly believe it. I had really grown to trust them and could see no true evil in any of them, no matter how hard I tried. The day was perfect…sunny, with a slight breeze…I was really happy….Irvine and I were planning to…"

"You were going to propose that day weren't you?" Kairi asked sadly after a brief silence.

"We had always promised to wait until things were perfect and I thought they were as perfect as they were going to get so I wanted to surprise her. I talked to Irvine about it and apparently he was thinking along the same lines. I was going to take Rinoa to a flower field and Irvine was going to take Selphie by the sea…"

"I'm sorry Leon," Sora said quietly to the man he really did admire more than most.

"We had just taken a picture of us four together. Rinoa was teasing me because I had actually smiled in the photo when I heard a voice in the nearby woods. I couldn't tell whose it was because they had used magic to conceal their voice. As soon as the person stopped talking these portals of darkness started to surround us…"

"_Squall, what's going on?!" Irvine yelled as he pulled out his gun._

"_I don't know." __**Of all the days for me to give Zell my gunblade to clean.**_

"_What is that?!" Rinoa exclaimed as a small dark creature fell out of the portal and bounced on the ground several times._

_Irvine fired his gun at it several times. As he was shooting he shouted, "Shoot first, ask questions later!" The only problem was: it took several shots for the small creature to die._

"_You guys ready?" Rinoa asked while she readied her pinwheel with a smirk as she briefly touched Squall's hand._

_Irvine and Squall simply nodded whereas Selphie shouted, "Let's do this!"_

_Squall pulled out a simple sword that he had taken with him that morning while Selphie pulled out her whip and Rinoa steadily aimed her pinwheel._

_More small creatures with tentacle type things coming out of their heads began to fall out of the portals of darkness._

_Four of the legendary SeeDs who had saved the world and all times launched themselves at the small creatures. They managed to destroy a few, but more began to appear along with new types and the group was soon overwhelmed._

"_Irvine! Take Selphie and Rinoa and get out of here!" Squall ordered as a creature of the darkness dressed in a suit of armor launched a spinning move towards his face, which he barely dodged._

"_No!" Irvine shouted as he fired a shot at the knight creature. "I'm not leaving you by yourself Squall, and I think Rinoa might kill me if I even attempt to," he added when he saw Rinoa brutally firing at a dark creature._

_Squall brought his sword down onto the head of another knight creature and looked Irvine straight in the eye, sweat glistening off his forehead, "Protect her. I owe her my life and it means nothing if she isn't safe. If I go with you we might lead these creatures to Garden and that would be the worst thing since we know nothing about the creatures and their powers, I have responsibilities as the temporary headmaster and I can't put them over my selfish desires to remain with Rinoa.. Please Irvine, get yourself out of here with Selphie and Rinoa…and please…protect them and yourself with your life."_

_Irvine nodded and saluted Squall. "Take care Squall. I don't want to see Rinoa if you aren't back within an hour. Evil sorceresses and the monsters on the island closest to heaven don't scare me, but your girlfriend is another story."_

_Squall smiled a little, "I wouldn't want to see her either. I'll be back soon." __**Sooner if I had my gunblade.**_

"_See you in awhile Squall!" Irvine shouted as he went to assist Selphie with the creature of darkness she was fighting._

_Right by his left ear Squall heard the most magical voice, that had a rather scary tone to it at the second, "I'm not leaving Squall, I hope you know that."_

"_Rinoa," Squall said as he briefly grazed her arm with his hands. He turned around so he was facing her, "You have to, it's too dangerous for you three to stay."_

"_But it's not too dangerous for you? What happened to 'stay close to me'?"_

"_These things happened," Squall said as a creature of darkness tried to jump him from behind. He thrust his sword into its middle and it immediately evaporated. "Rinoa, I'll be back, but we can't lead these to Garden. How about you to go to Garden, fly to the Ragnarok, and then pick me up? Does that work for you?"_

"_No. Make Selphie and Irvine do that."_

"_Please Rinoa. I'll make it up to you later."_

_Rinoa smiled seductively and took a step closer to Squall, "Oh you will, will you? And just how are you planning on making it up to me?"_

"_I'll take you to the training center and we'll fight T-Rexaurs."_

_Rinoa sighed, "You really are clueless sometimes Squall." She looked around and was grateful the only creature of the dark was by Irvine and Selphie, keeping them harmlessly preoccupied. Rinoa took a step forward and took Squall's hands, "You'll be here right?"_

_Squall smiled one of his rare smiles, "I promise. I'll be here waiting…"_

"_For what?"_

"_For you. So if you come here, you'll find me. I promise."_

_Rinoa smiled, "I love you Squall Leonhart, you know that right?"_

"_Sometimes," Squall said seriously._

"_You and your issues, here maybe this will prove it to you."_

_Rinoa stepped in close to Squall and placed her lips onto his. Their lips immediately began to work together in the middle of the battle. Squall could feel the worry through the kiss and it made him want to take Rinoa away from everything. He kissed her in a more caring and careful way than usual, hoping it reminded her how much he loved her._

_It did._

"_Hey! The fighting may have slowed, but it's still going on over here!" Irvine shouted loudly._

_Suddenly a shiver of fear went through Rinoa. She had a feeling something bad was about to happen._

_Rinoa leaned back into Squall for one last hug. "There's more of that for you tonight, you simply have to come safely home."_

_With that Rinoa ran towards Irvine and Selphie, dismissing her fear as she had learned to two years before. **Fear only causes problems after all.** _

"_Loverboy," Irvine called down, "there aren't any more creatures, you sure you want to stay here?"_

_Squall looked up at Irvine and nodded, "They'll be coming back soon. I know it."_

_Irvine shrugged his shoulders, "Your call."_

_He, Selphie, and Rinoa began their way back to Garden. When they had gotten about 250 feet away the black portals returned, more than ever. The voice Squall had heard earlier laughed loudly as Squall realized the portals were almost completely surrounding him. He did have a small window though to see the distant shapes of his three friends._

_Creatures immediately started to jump out of the portals, some like the two types he had already faced, but others were different. He rapidly started swinging his sword and managed to destroy a few when he heard a loud yell._

_Squall turned and stared at his friends who were now closer to him than they had been, with Rinoa being the closest. He saw Rinoa stop running towards him with a worried expression and look at the direction the yell came from. Squall saw a dark figure leap towards Selphie, but Irvine intercepted it. He deflected that creature with his gun, but he missed the one coming at him from the side. Its hands drawn like claws, it struck him directly on the face._

_The piercing scream from Selphie caused the once again running form of Rinoa to stop and turn around. Irvine fell down to the ground, his hand over his eye as Selphie suddenly pulled out her whip and violently destroyed the creature of darkness._

_Squall tried to run towards his friends only to find several pairs of hands grab him. He resisted, but could not move his body let alone his sword arm. He was trapped._

"_Let go of me!" He roared angrily, which caused Rinoa to tear her gaze from the collapsed silhouettes of Irvine and Selphie and stare at Squall._

_The hands from the creatures didn't let go of him. Instead, they dragged Squall down into a portal of darkness that they had arrived through._

_A high pitched laughter from one and an intense voice of pure anguish from another rang through the air, "SQUALL!!"_

"The last thing I remember before waking up at Radiant Garden days later is the evil laughter right in my ear and the desperate look on Rinoa's face," Leon said as he finished his long account.

"Leon, I didn't know you had gone through so much," Sora said quietly.

"There are others who have been through more," Leon mumbled while he thought of Cloud and Aerith.

"We'll do whatever we can to help you," Kairi promised sincerely.

Sora nodded in agreement and asked, "Do you know anything about how your world is now?"

Leon ran a hand through his short red hair. It was taking a log of getting used to. "Whoever the traitor is, he or she still pretends to be one of my friends. The world is overrun by heartless, which were led to my planet by the darkness in the traitor's heart. The heartless are plentiful, but not necessarily strong. My planet, though, is in an alternate universe making it exceptionally difficult for those unfamiliar with the heartless to fight them because of the common fighting styles of my planet don't match up with those of the heartless."

"That's where we come in right?" Kairi said.

"Mass extermination service!" Sora shouted, pumping his fist.

"When we arrive at my world can you two do me a favor?" Leon asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" Sora replied without even considering saying no or even maybe.

"Make sure you call me Leon and not Squall."

"Of course Leon!" Sora exclaimed. "Though really you don't look like a Leon or a Squall right now with your bright red hair."

"Stop while you're ahead kid," Leon warned.

"Hey, what's you plan for fighting the heartless anyway?" Kairi asked from her seat.

"I thought of a new battle strategy, but I don't know how it will work," Leon said cautiously.

"What is it?"

"How good are you guys at separating from your nobodies?"

* * *

"This is it! Sora, Kairi, hang on tight!" Leon commanded as alarms started to blare throughout the ship.

Their gummi ship flew into a mass of debris and lightning flashes. Kairi felt herself be shaken several times, but she somehow managed to keep ahold of her seat. Sora wasn't so lucky.

Kairi's eyes widened when she saw Sora hit the wall of the ship, "Sora!" She screamed.

Leon swiftly launched himself out of his own safe seat through the air towards the unmoving, probably injured, Sora. The ship violently shook, but Leon managed to keep on his path and grab Sora. Leon held the teenager and swiftly landed on the ground as the ship shook fiercely once again. Leon felt the determination and adrenaline in his blood stream, it was almost as if he was 17 and running from XATMO92 again.

Leon rolled over as a small piece of equipment flew towards him and Sora, "Crap!" He yelled to no one in particular.

Leon managed to make his way across the floor without losing his balance to Sora's seat and he strapped the boy tightly in. He glanced him over and noticed a small gash on his forehead.

"Will he be alright?" Kairi shouted over the noise to Leon from the seat behind Sora.

"He has a cut that's pretty deep, but it's small. He'll be fine once he wakes up!" Leon shouted.

He fell over to the ground as the gummi ship violently rocked again.

Leon glared and raidly got up off the ground. He made his way back to the pilot's seat without any more trouble. Once he was strapped in was another story.

The ship was getting hit by lightning more frequently and shaking more violently than ever, but they weren't even halfway through the gap. Leon shook his head and whispered to himself, "What have I gotten these kids in to?"

He started pounding on the controls, hoping against hope that something would save them. All of a sudden he felt an odd sensation on his body. He felt as if he was being stretched then compressed then stretched again.

He heard Kairi scream in the background, but it sounded distant and odd. A ringing sensation in his ears soon replaced her scream.

The ship around Leon began to swirl and he closed his eyes. Behind his eyelids he saw Rinoa, a small smile on her face as she pointed upwards to the starry sky. Leon smiled himself and ignored his confusing surroundings.

* * *

Down on Squall's planet, all was quiet on the Ragnarok. Everyone but Selphie, who was manning the controls, was asleep on the ship. Not one of them expected any sort of good news in the world, and more specifically, Rinoa's case. Actually, they were half-expecting her to be possessed by Ultimecia again, only this time there would be no Squall to save her.

The only sound on the ship was the occasional turn on the steering wheel and Zell's snores.

On the Ragnarok that evening, all was quiet, all was dark, and all was hopeless.

In that time of silence, that time of darkness, that time of hopelessness, Rinoa's eyes snapped open with an intensity that had not been seen on the Ragnarok in many years.

She bolted so she was sitting up straight and felt a familiar, but distant presence.

"He's back," was all she could whisper.

* * *

As soon as it came, the odd sensation disappeared. Leon came to his senses and glanced around.

Sora and Kairi were both on the floor, passed out cold. Leon walked towards them and felt their breath, they were both breathing evenly. He gave a sigh of relief that they were okay, he wasn't responsible for their deaths.

Leon noticed that Sora's cut had somehow disappeared from above his eye. Leon looked down at the ship's floor and realized this wasn't the gummi ship Cid had built for them.

"The hell?" He asked himself. Leon stood up and looked out the window of their new ship. His face broke into one of his rare involuntary smiles.

Down below was his planet, his world. Down below was Rinoa.

He was _finally _home.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12: Pain Ridden Return

**Pain-ridden Return**

**Alright, I'm very sorry for the delay. But if it means anything, today was last my day of finals. So (knock on wood) my updates should be at least semi-regular and more frequent.**

**Once again I am very sorry for the delay, but I am grateful for the reviews and I always appreciate them when you can leave some.**

* * *

After several moments of joyful whispering, Rinoa slowly walked out of the infirmary. She kept a hand on the wall to steady herself and made sure she was quiet so she didn't wake anyone else up.

She finally made it to her room and manually locked the door behind herself. She went to the same desk where she had had the visions of Squall and sat down behind it.

Rinoa stared up at the black sky from her window and felt the faint, familiar presence. She began to think about where Squall would go once he made it to the surface.

* * *

"C'mon Sora, wake up," Leon mumbled as he splashed water on the prone boy's face.

Finally, Sora moved his head. "The cool water….I love it," he said quietly with a soft smile.

"Sora!" Leon commanded.

Immediately, Sora snapped his eyes open. "Leon!" He exclaimed. "Woah, how long have I—Leon!" He exclaimed again.

Concerned, Leon asked, "What?"

"You-you…You're younger!"

Genuinely shocked, Leon asked, "Huh?"

Sora scrambled onto his feet and summoned his keyblade. "Here look," he ordered as he shoved the keyblade into Leon's face.

Leon stared at his reflection in disbelief. He put a hand onto his already different face and felt to be sure it was real. It was.

Leon was 22 again.

"Of course," he whispered to himself. "Time passes differently in this universe, so when I came back I became the age I am supposed to be."

"So why aren't Kairi and I younger?" Sora asked while Kairi stirred in her sleep.

"You're not from this universe so the time change doesn't affect you…If you stay here for a few years and then go back home, there might be a difference."

"Oh, so we would get older instead of getting younger like you?"

"I guess."

Sora kicked the ground, "That's no fair! We get all wrinkly looking while you get all youthful again."

Leon just shook his head. "How is Kairi? I thought you should wake her up."

"I'm already awake Leon," Kairi said.

Leon and Sora turned to see her calmly sitting on the floor of the ship.

Sora smiled and turned back to Leon, "Ready to go home…Squall?"

* * *

Rinoa continued to stare at the inky sky, wondering where she should go first. It was obvious Squall was back, but she didn't know where to find him.

She was actually worn out from her stay in a coma and couldn't think straight, which didn't help when considering her options.

Rinoa laid her head down on the desk and tears of frustration began to fall from her eyes.

"Squall, where are you?" She asked him, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.

Suddenly, one of her most treasured memories floated through her mind.

_Squall: How about this... I'll be here...  
Rinoa: ... Why?  
Squall: The reason why you couldn't find me was because we haven't promised yet.  
Rinoa: Promised...?  
Squall: I'll be waiting for you. If you come here, you'll find me. I promise.  
Rinoa: I'll be here, too. It's a promise! Thanks, Squall! Next time, we'll meet for sure!_

Rinoa immediately sat up straight.

"The flowerfield! Of course!"

* * *

"There's a city on the sea. It's right off the transcontinental train tracks. We're going to go there first and see what shape it's in. We'll land and scout the area. Do not pull out your weapons unless you see a heartless at point blank range, got it?" Leon told the two as they entered the planet's hot atmosphere.

Sora nodded as he tightly gripped his seat. Kairi, meanwhile, offered a quiet "sure" while she calmly watched the flaming rocks fly by the ship.

"When are we going to see Rinoa?" She asked as the ship exited the atmosphere into a rapid descent.

Leon was silent for a minute while he concentrated on the ship's controls. "I'm not sure exactly. I know where to meet her though when it's time."

"Here we go. Hang on tight," Leon commanded as the ship grazed over the sea.

With apparent ease, though really it was not an easy task, Leon slowed and parked the spaceship exactly where the Ragnarok used to park eight years before at Fisherman's Horizon, _or three years I guess._

Leon unbuckled himself from the seat even though he wasn't sure the ship was completely stopped. "Daybreak is in approximately one hour. This town is extremely non-violent, so you'll have one hour to scout in peace before you better get real careful."

Sora nodded seriously, despite the greenish tint his face had.

"You two go to the mayor's house. It's the house in the heart of the town, it's very close to where we landed. Try not to establish contact with the mayor if you can. I'll go to the train station. Meet here by noon and if you get in trouble and you can't pull off the plan, run to the ship."

"Yes sir," Kairi said with a smile as Sora saluted.

* * *

Leon silently exited the ship with the two teenagers behind him, silent as well. Even Sora realized the seriousness of the situation when they left the ship.

Leon looked around and felt pain inside of him.

Everything was in ruins. _No. No. Not here._

Leon forgot where he was and immediately started to run through the mostly destroyed town to the train station, his gunblade drawn.

Sora and Kairi made eye contact, but decided not to follow and instead began towards where they thought the mayor's house would be.

* * *

Rinoa considered how to approach Seifer and Irvine. She had to be careful on how she phrased things. She didn't know how much Squall wanted people to know about his return, but she had to make it the flowerfield as soon as she possibly could.

That much she knew.

* * *

Leon encountered no heartless on his way to the train station. When he got to the station that had already been so ancient and in ruins, he wanted to collapse.

He walked to the stairs he had once climbed in hopes of reaching Esthar. There was nothing on top of the stairs. Just debris. No more train station with the tracks where he had finally opened up to an unconscious Rinoa. Nothing.

Leon turned and walked over to the spot where he had had a fateful conversation with Rinoa after the missile base mission.

Onto his knees Squall Leonhart fell. He stabbed his gunblade onto the ground and put his head onto it, wondering how much of his world, of the people he had slowly, but surely, grown to love, was left.

Squall didn't have much time to consider before he heard the sick sound signaling the opening of the portals.

_The heartless._ Hatred flowed through the young-again man.

He stood up, fury in his eyes, and pulled his gunblade from the ground as the shadows began to stumble out.

From the distance he heard alarm bells begin to toll. Squall didn't care though, all he wanted was revenge against the creatures that had caused more pain than he had ever wanted in his entire life. Thunder suddenly crashed above him and rain began to pour down from the sky.

"Son of a bitch, come here!" He exclaimed to all of the heartless around him.

He started to run towards them when they began to charge him. Easily he killed several.

* * *

"Leon is in trouble!" Sora shouted right when rain started to pour down from the sky. "We have to go help him!"

Kairi's eyes widened slightly. "Sora, Leon isn't the only one in trouble!"

Sora turned with a confused expression to see portals of darkness around him and the heartless falling out.

"Game on!" He shouted while he summoned the keyblade, Kairi right behind him with her own keyblade.

"Should we go through with the plan?" Kairi asked Sora as they started to swing at the numerous heartless.

"Leon doesn't know if there's a limit to how many times we can do it and we're not in danger yet. So I think we should save it for some other time."

Kairi nodded and the pair continued to fight together.

* * *

At around eight in the morning, Rinoa walked out of her quarters and to where the group usually ate breakfast.

When she entered the room there was a second's pause before a pair of arms was roughly thrown around her.

"Rinoa! You're awake!" Selphie shouted with honest joy in her voice. Everyone had been worried she had disappeared like Squall when they awoke to see nobody in the infirmary.

Rinoa gave a small smile. "It's good to be back," She said with a double meaning. For the first time in three years Rinoa felt a bit of her old self and that was enough to make her _slightly_ happy.

"Guess what!" Selphie exclaimed with excitement.

"What?!" Rinoa replied with a anxiousness in her eyes. _Did Squall come here? Do they know he's back?_

Quistis turned on their radio-waved television, "There's been a news report!"

Rinoa blinked. There hadn't been a news report in two years, when SeeD and all military forces had been ordered to retreat from the battles with creatures of dark. Everyone was left to fend for themselves. It pained Rinoa to know she had a part in creating that order.

"Watch!" Selphie ordered Rinoa and pointed at the screen where a man who just two years ago had a full head of wavy dark hair now had balding gray hair was speaking.

"What is left of the town of Fisherman's Horizon awoke to their worst nightmare this morning. The sirens that signal the coming of the creatures of dark rang clear, which made survivors believe their end had come. Instead, their savior had arrived."

Rinoa's breath caught. _Is it him? _An image came across the screen.

A boy about sixteen and a girl who looked the same age were destroying the creatures with ease with weapons that looked strangely like keys. Rinoa sighed as hope that it was Squall left her. _Maybe I was wrong, maybe he isn't back, maybe it was just these two kids._

Suddenly, the boy and girl were cut off the screen and the image refocused on a man of around twenty-two fighting the heartless. He had bright red hair cropped short and deep green eyes. His face was flawless even though anger was radiating off of it in the rain. He also fought with a rather unique weapon, a gunblade.

Selphie, Quistis, and the recently entered Irvine all stared at the screen in awe. They knew the style the man was swinging the gunblade well. It was different than they remembered, but they could still recognize it with ease. They all switched their gaze from the screen to Rinoa so they could gauge her reaction.

Once again Rinoa's breath caught. She stared at the man. She studied the way he fought and she studied his blurry face. She didn't have enough strength to even cast a pausing spell to pause his face so she could only look at it when the TV allowed. He was similar to Squall in many ways, yet he was different in a lot as well. She wasn't able to stare into his green eyes but from the way he fought and his build Rinoa figured he was simply a relative.

"Did Laguna have a brother or sister or cousin who had a kid?" She asked the room with an edge in her voice.

"I..I don't know Rinoa," Irvine answered uncertain of what Rinoa would do now.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Rinoa felt out into the world, searching for the presence she loved…After a few minutes she felt it. She knew he was back.

Rinoa turned to Irvine. "I need to go to Centra, can you get me there?"

* * *

Leon swung again and again. Destroying heartless again and again. Finally, none more ran at him. No more surrounded him. Leon had successfully scared them off.

He glared all around him as he double-checked the area.

However, his searching was interrupted by a loud cheer. His eyes widened as people dressed in torn and dirty clothes started coming out of the wreckage that used to be FH cheering their heads off.

One man had a camera perched on his shoulder and he ran to Leon.

"Who are you sir? Please, the world begs to know," the man with the camera told Leon.

Leon looked into the camera, weary of it and the people watching, "Leon Loire," he mumbled to the man.

The man grinned, "Our savior, Leon Loire!!" The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. Leon shifted his weight, extremely uncomfortable.

Sora and Kairi suddenly burst out of the crowd, smiles on their own faces. Leon nodded at them, glad they were safe but still uncomfortable with all the attention.

"Who are your comrades?" The cameraman asked Leon.

Sora ran in front of Leon to deflect the attention. "I'm Sora."

Kairi walked over to join him, "And I'm Kairi."

The cameraman smiled and set his camera on the ground. He then pulled a small notebook out of his pocket and wrote down Leon Loire, Sora, and Kairi.

"Can we get something to eat? I'm starving!" Sora proclaimed before the man could start asking questions.

"Of course. You must be tired." Leon nodded in the background. The cameraman yelled out to the crowd, "Can we get the Mayor out here to show them around?"

Leon stared at the ground in deep concentration. He had spent a bit of time with Mayor Dobe, who as big of an idiot he was—trying to reason with Galbadian Soldiers! —could perceive some things.

A hand was stuck out under Leon's face. Reluctantly, Leon lifted his face to greet the Mayor. Leon raised his eyes and stared in awe, in front of him was a middle-aged man with dark skin and long dark hair hanging gracefully over his face. The man said nothing, yet his eyes were questioning. Without a word of introduction or anything, Leon knew exactly who he was.

"This is Mayor Seagill," the cameraman introduced. "Mayor Seagill is the reason our town is still in some form of existence in these troubled times."

Leon wanted to shoot himself. He had used his father's surname when he had named himself. Mayor Seagill was Kiros Seagill, one of Leon's father's best friends.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13: Secrets Revealed

**Secrets Revealed  
**

**So this is a bit of a shorter chapter that I wanted, but I felt like I should update before I leave for Wilmington, NC for two weeks (Therefore, I probably won't be updating for at least two weeks, I'm sorry). So here you go. Squinoa action should be starting up pretty soon, don't worry ;). **

**Please Read and Review! I really do greatly appreciate any sort of opinions you guys have. Thank you for all the reviews I've already gotten and for reading!**

* * *

"Take me to Centra." Rinoa commanded fiercely to Seifer. Irvine was behind her, his arm stretched out as if trying to catch her.

"Rinoa, Centra is the most dangerous place of all. What in the world could be important enough for you to take such a risk?" Seifer asked.

"A mystery from my past," was all Rinoa said.

"Rinoa, I'm not going to take you. Squall would kill me if he knew I let you into such a dangerous situation."

Rinoa glared at Seifer, "How about I'll kill you if you don't take me to Centra?"

Seifer smirked, "You don't scare me Rinoa."

"She should!" Irvine interrupted. "She can scratch you up if she's determined enough. I wouldn't push her Seifer."

Seifer glared at Irvine, telling him to shut up. "Rinoa, I will not take you to Centra and there is nothing you can say that will convince me."

Rinoa rolled her eyes and left Seifer's room with Irvine following her.

They were halfway down a hallway when Irvine suddenly found himself shoved up against the wall by an invisible hand. He looked down to a see an extremely pissed off Rinoa.

"Hey hey Rinoa, I would let you go if it was my choice. Why don't you just let me down?"

"Find a way to get me to Centra." Rinoa commanded, her voice full of ice.

"I don't know how. Only Quistis has openly left this ship in years, you know that."

Rinoa managed to glare even fiercer at Irvine, "Have Zell fight Seifer and you shoot him with a tranquilizer, then get Selphie to fly over Centra, where you will drop me off."

"Do you know how pissed Seifer will be when that tranquilizer wears off?"

"Not as pissed as I'll be if you don't do this for me." Irvine realized he would rather face an angry Seifer a hundred times than see Rinoa denied this.

"Can you do me just one favor?" When she didn't reply Irvine continued, "Can you explain to me why you want to go to Centra so badly?"

"A piece of the puzzle to Squall's disappearance is there, I need to find it."

Rinoa turned on her heel and began to go towards her own room, "Hey hey Rinoa! I'm still up here!" Irvine yelled out when he discovered he still couldn't move anything below his neck.

A second later Irvine found himself in a ball on the ground, "Sheesh, remind me never to annoy her," he mumbled to himself. Irvine couldn't help being a bit intrigued by her behavior though, after all this was the first time Rinoa had actually said Squall's name in a conversation since the mornings of her nightmares after his disappearance.

* * *

Kiros told Leon, "You can stay in the hidden base. It isn't much but it's all we have left."

Leon nodded and followed Kiros to the base with Sora and Kairi following. The town citizens were still watching them, but they left them alone for the most part. Leon was grateful as he tried to think of what to say to Kiros.

Kiros silently led the group to where Mayor Dobe's house used to be, near where Leon parked his ship. Kiros walked over to the edge of the metal platform and jumped down.

Leon let out a slight sigh. Nobody knew the importance of this area. A brief memory of a seventeen year-old girl pushing him off the edge he had just jumped off washed over him. Leon remembered the girl begging him to open up, to take in what time they had together. _I miss them all so much._

Kiros walked several yards before he knelt and pulled on one of the glass type tiles, which then pulled out several of the surrounding tiles.

A large hole was revealed and Leon smiled. Sometimes, people's genius surprised even him for the better. He never would've considered the basin as a hiding place for a base. Kiros pointed down the hole before he jumped down it himself. Leon, Sora, and Kairi soon followed.

Leon landed on his feet and quickly moved away so Sora and Kairi could land without falling on him. Sora also landed on his feet and caught Kairi before she could hit the ground.

The two teenagers started to giggle and smile slightly. Both were glad to be safe and enjoyed the attention they received for being heroes. Neither noticed the tension between Leon and the Mayor.

The room the four were in had dirt walls. The floor, however, was the same sort of tile that had been pulled away above them. In the room there was a small table with four chairs and four tunnels that led off of it.

"Food supplies are over there," Kiros said while pointing to a smaller tunnel to the right. To Sora and Kairi he added, "Leon, who I presume is your leader, and I are going to have a little chat in the command center which is over there," Kiros pointed to the foreboding directly behind him.

Leon nodded at Kiros and then at Sora and Kairi to show he agreed with what Kiros had said.

Kairi caught on to the tension then but made no mention as she and Sora went to the room with the food.

"Follow me," Kiros commanded Leon. He led the young man through a short and narrow tunnel with only a few hanging lanterns. The tunnel went on for some time before the pair entered a nicer room with four surrounding television screens. The walls were made of metal, as was the floor. There was a desk with a sort of telephone sitting on it and a chair on each side of it. Kiros sat in the chair behind the desk and gestured for Leon to sit in the chair in front.

Leon found himself to be slightly nervous and did not sit down. He simply stood and stared Kiros down. Kiros returned the stare.

After a few moments, Kiros lifted the phone.

"Get me Laguna Loire on the phone," Kiros commanded into the telephone.

"No!" Leon shouted.

With a hint of a smirk Kiros asked, "What?"

"Don't call my father. He can't know I'm back yet," Leon said in a dejected voice.

Kiros' face broke into a smile and he hung up the phone, "Squall?"

Leon glanced away from the man and said nothing more.

* * *

There was a knock on her door. Rinoa glanced at the clock. Four in the morning. _Who would it be?_ Rinoa cautiously opened the door, her fist at the ready, only to see Irvine standing in front of her. His hat, as usual, was pulled low across his face.

"Irvine?" Rinoa asked while she lowered her fist.

He glanced around quickly and gently pushed Rinoa inside of her room. Then he shut the door behind him. "We're stopping at Timber in one hour for me to have a secret meeting with the new leader of the Forest Owls."

"New leader?" Rinoa asked. Her mouth was suddenly dry out of concern for Zone and Watts.

"Your friends never did return from their mission to find the White SeeD ship Rinoa." Rinoa looked down as more sadness crept over her. "Look, I'm going to smuggle you off the ship with me. I cannot guarantee your safety and Seifer might just kill me when he finds out, as would Squall, but for some reason…I have this feeling that this is what I really need to do; that this is right. Go meet Selphie at the cockpit. If anyone looks for you soon she has your story covered in exchange for a proper goodbye."

Suddenly, Rinoa launched herself at Irvine and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Irvine."

Awkwardly, Irvine pat Rinoa on the back. Years before, he might have joked about this, but now he was much more hardened. He wasn't like that anymore. "You better come back safe Rinoa or else Selphie will come looking for you and she won't be happy."

A tear managed to slip out of Rinoa's eye, "I'll do my best."

Irvine nodded. He knew this was the most anyone could promise anymore.

* * *

"It is you Squall! I wasn't sure and I knew if I questioned you would clam up. So I pulled the trick with the phone, nobody was actually on the line." Leon's eyes narrowed as he realized what an idiot he had been falling for the oldest trick in the book. "Squall, it's good to see you safe and sound. How did you manage to change your appearance so drastically? And where have you been the past three years? The Garden needed you, your father needed you, the Kramers needed you, everyone needed you, yet you were nowhere to be found." At the end Kiros' voice had grown hard and bitter.

Leon walked to one of the metal walls and placed an arm against it and hid his head behind his arm. "It wasn't my fault Kiros…"

Kiros stood and walked cautiously over to Leon. "The rumors were true?"

"What rumors?"

"That someone close to you tried to kill you. Therefore, you had to go into hiding and I assume you discovered the way to drastically alter your appearance wherever you were."

Leon smiled slightly at the variety of rumors that must have surrounded his disappearance. "Something like that," he mumbled while he lifted his head up. "My appearance will return to normal once three people recognize me and you're number one. That's why you can't tell my father."

"I understand what you're saying Leon, but Laguna has been worried sick about you. He deserves to know his son is at least safe."

Leon looked at his feet, he knew he could not give Kiros the permission to comfort Laguna just yet. "How is Laguna?"

Now it was Kiros' turn to look away. "Laguna may deserve to know of his son's safety, but I'm afraid he can't. He disappeared."

"What? How? What about Esthar?!" Leon immediately questioned.

"Laguna was worried about you when you didn't turn up at the world leader's meeting to discuss what to do about the creatures of darkness. He was one of the few who actually got a hold of your girlfriend. She gave Laguna the details, but cast a spell so he couldn't tell them to anyone except Ellone."

_Rinoa knew there was a traitor somewhere and didn't want to show her hand and give them a chance to cover their tracks_, Leon realized.

"Laguna went searching for you when the rest of us had given up hope of your return a long time before."

"When did he leave?"

"Nearly a year now. We lost contact with him six months ago. Nobody has any idea where he is."

"Ellone?"

"She's in charge of Esthar. I and one other are the only people in the world to have any sort of contact with Esthar, it is safe and well-hidden. I don't know how to get into the continent, but I'm sure if we informed Ellone of your arrival she would let you in."

Leon deflected Kiros' plea to tell someone else of his return and asked, "The other person is Ward?"

"Yes. Ward is in charge of the Galbadian Region, but for how much longer we don't know."

An immediately concerned Leon asked, "What do you mean?"

Kiros sighed sadly and shook his head. "Ward lost his left hand to the dark creatures in a battle that went horribly wrong. He has a much harder time fighting and he occasionally has spasms of pain. Not to mention, his health in general seems to be in the decline. Your old friend Irvine Kinneas is likely to be named successor to Ward whenever he retires."

"You know how they are?!" Leon asked in reference to his friends with anxiousness in his tone.

"Of course I do. They are the main protectors of the world. They fly around in their spaceship doing all they can. They're all that's left of SeeD now that Galbadia Garden's wreckage has been discovered."

"What happened to Balamb Garden?"

"Nobody is sure. It simply disappeared about two years ago and hasn't been seen since. Rumor has it a spell was cast to keep it safe, but nobody has claimed credit and with a spell that powerful you think they would have made it public for everyone to use."

_Rinoa. She hid Balamb Garden from the traitor because she knew it would be a prime target. _

"How are Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, and Rin—"

"They're all alive. Seifer Almasy is in charge currently. Don't make that face, he isn't bad," Kiros said in response to Squall's involuntary narrowed eyes. "Zell Dincht trains as many as he can to fight and he's always with your old girlfriend." Jealousy started to flow through Leon, even though he knew he had no reason to be jealous. After all, Zell wouldn't ever like Rinoa and there were bigger things to be worried about. "Quistis Trepe surveys the world. She makes routine checks of everywhere except Esthar. Selphie Tilmitt is the pilot of the Ragnarok and is in charge of what remains of pilots everywhere. Irvine Kinneas is second-in-command of the SeeD forces and does whatever he can to help, despite his limitation."

"Limitation?" Leon asked. As far as he knew Irvine's only limitation was that he sometimes cracked under pressure, but Leon thought Irvine had gotten over that.

"We've all lost things from the creatures of dark Squall. Irvine lost one of his eyes, nobody knows when except for a select few, but he lost it and without it he has a hard time being a sharpshooter."

The memory of the day he had disappeared flashed through Leon's mind. That horrible gut-wrenching scream from Irvine must have been when his eye had been scratched out his eye. Leon clenched his fist as anger and pity wracked through him. Shooting had been Irvine's favorite activity besides flirting with any female. He wondered what Irvine was doing instead of sharpshooting.

"As for your old girlfriend, Rinoa I believe, nobody knows about her. We don't know what she does or even her condition. All I know is that when Laguna went to see her after you left, she was a mess. It took multiple visits from him before she was in condition enough to tell the story of what happened without breaking down into hysterics."

Now pain wracked through Leon. He hated the thought of causing Rinoa so much hurt she couldn't function like she always had. He hated that he was the one who caused the once strong woman to collapse into a wrecked person.

"Now Squall, can you tell me something?" Kiros asked.

Squall averted Kiros' intense gaze. "Depends."

"What are your plans for saving the world?"

* * *


	14. Chapter 14: Secret Missions

**Secret Missions  
**

**So much for updating more in the Summer…I'm sorry my schedule has turned out so hectic that I barely have time to write. I really do thank you all for sticking around and still reading and especially thank you to those that take the time to review.**

**I hope this chapter is half-decent…**

* * *

"The two kids?! Squall you can't be serious!" Kiros shouted after Leon explained his secret plan. He was now standing and glaring at Leon.

"Why not Kiros? After all you were in you early twenties when you went on your first adventures with Laguna. I was only seventeen when I fought Ultimecia. Sora is fifteen and he's already done more than anyone else I know."

"You haven't been around Squall, people have done more than you think," Kiros growled.

Squall glared at his father's friend and said in a resilient tone, "This is my choice Kiros and I've made my decision."

"It's our world! It's not only your damn choice Squall Leonhart! Don't act like you're the only tragic hero, the world is full of them!"

"Yet I'm the one fighting. Everyone is hiding Kiros, Esthar, SeeD, Balamb, the "great" Galbadian army. I have no idea who I can trust anymore. Remember, my appearance? It's different for a reason. I'll assemble what fighters I can, but in the end it rests on the shoulders of those kids."

Kiros sighed and sat back down in his chair. "You're as stubborn as your father Squall. But at the final battle…you can call on me."

"Thank you Kiros," Leon replied. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed all the help he could get.

"How long do you plan on staying?" Kiros asked.

Leon smiled slightly, "As soon as Sora is done pigging out."

"Where are you going to go?"

Leon turned to exit the command center of the hidden base, "That is a secret."

* * *

It was eight in the morning, yet it was still dark in Timber. Rinoa grinned. _Perfect for my escape._

"Careful Rinoa, someone is coming," Selphie whispered in Rinoa's ear. Selphie has insisted on giving Rinoa a hidden earpiece in case she got into danger; they were in dangerous times after all. Rinoa ducked behind a cargo box that lie near the Ragnarok.

"The trees of Timber sure 'ave changed," A gruff voice with an accent said from a nearby alley.

"Yet the owls still manage to survive in the darkness," Irvine replied dryly.

A man with a sky blue bandana tied around his head walked out from the alley. "Kinneas!" He shouted. "It 'as been a while mate! I'm guessin' you need some supplies?"

"Actually no. Some would probably be helpful, but I'm here to meet the new leader."

"She's a beaut mate. A few claim she's as pretty as the ol' princess from a few years ago. I wouldan know though 'cus she was before my time."

"I heard the old princess had a nasty temper though. I heard she would scratch you at the lightest joke against her." There was a hint of laughter in Irvine's dreary tone.

_Screw you Kinneas_. Rinoa glared through her box at the sharpshooter.

"Really? I only 'eard good things 'bout her."

_Ha Irvine! People do like me!_

"They have something wrong in the head?"

The man revealed himself to have a gruff laugh. "Some of 'em do mate." After he gathered himself he asked Irvine, "Well, let's go then aye?"

Irvine nodded curtly and started to follow the man, but not without a quick glance to the box Rinoa was hiding behind.

It was his way of saying goodbye.

* * *

"Where are we Leon?" Sora asked as they walked through a blue archway into another seemingly empty town. The trio had gotten off their ship a ways away and Leon had led them here.

With a slight smile, which was as much as Leon ever smiled now, he answered, "Welcome to Timber, where it all began."

Leon continued, "The town may seem empty, but everyone is probably hiding. Our goal is simple, search the town, destroy any heartless, and if you see anything suspicious report to me. Here, I found these on the ship," Leon pulled out of his sweatshirt's pocket three cell phones. I programmed the numbers into each.

"I still think it's weird to see you in normal clothes," Sora mumbled as he put his new phone into his own pocket.

Leon shrugged, "My regular clothes would have stood out too much."

"But still, you in a sweatshirt and cargo pants…." Sora shivered.

Leon glared at the young fifteen year old, "Get going."

Sora felt a shove against his back before he could reply, "Let's go smooth one," Kairi commanded. To Leon she said cheerfully, "Later Leon!"

* * *

As Leon walked through the town a feeling of panic rose within him. He had walked by the train station, the bar, the TV station, and was on his way back to Timber Maniacs, yet he still saw no sign of anyone.

_Could they all really be dead? Could Timber have finally fallen, not to Galbadia, but the heartless?_

It was noon there. Normally, people would be out and about doing their daily business, but nobody was there.

"Stop right there!" A woman's stern voice suddenly commanded from behind Leon.

* * *

"Timber… this was the place of his first mission right?" Sora asked as he looked under a bench.

"Sora I doubt a heartless would hide under a bench," Kairi pointed out.

Sora jumped back up on his feet, "I was looking for a person though! I'm trying to think creatively. Now Timber was his first mission right?"

"Yes."

"So do you think she'll be here?"

"Why would she come here? She doesn't know he's back yet!"

Rinoa watched the two teenagers carefully. They didn't look armed, yet she could just tell that they would be ready for battle in a second. She had to think carefully about how to go about rescuing them from the creatures of dark but not harming herself.

"Do you think he looks weird right now or is it only me?" Sora asked Kairi as he placed his hands behind his head and continued walking through the supposed ghost town.

Kairi laughed, "Oh I think he looks weird, but I'm not going to go bugging him about it. He doesn't have a choice Sora, he can't be recognized right now."

An idea came to Rinoa and she felt stupid for not thinking of it earlier, but she hadn't used magic lately so it was excusable.

"Stop!" She whispered.

An odd sensation passed over Sora and Kairi. They suddenly felt tingly, as if their whole bodies had gone to sleep. Sora tried to yell yet found he could not.

Rinoa walked out in her new black and red outfit. "You two do not know what you are up against, really I'm doing you a favor."

She placed one hand on Sora's shoulder and the other on Kairi's. "Float," she said. Immediately the two started to float in the air. "Sleep," she commanded next and suddenly the two teenagers fell asleep.

* * *

Leon paused. He didn't want to piss anyone off…yet. He heard foot steps behind him and felt a pistol be pressed into his back. Leon had the temptation to turn and punch whoever had the nerve to stick a gun into his back even though he didn't have his weapon drawn.

"Now, who are you?" The woman's voice asked, now calmer, yet still stern.

"Who are you?" Leon replied.

The gun was jutted further into his back, but Leon didn't flinch as he knew his captor wanted him to.

The woman yelled, "I am the one asking questions here!"

_Apparently she doesn't like her authority being questioned. _Leon still did not answer the question. He wasn't a talker after all.

"Take him to the train," the woman commanded whoever held the pistol to Leon.

Leon didn't wait another second. He quickly pulled away from his captor and to the left. Then he promptly slugged the guy and grabbed the gun out of his briefly laxed hand. Leon next drew his gunblade. He held the blade at the man's throat and pointed the gun at the woman who was a good ten feet away. _Coward, making someone else do the dangerous job._

Leon then really looked at the immobile pair and realized something. He knew them.

The woman was someone he hadn't seen since his early visits to Timber. She was the teenage daughter of the leader of the Forest Fox all grown up. Her features were harsh, yet she still had a sense of beauty about her.

Leon next looked to the man whose neck his blade was at, the man had long auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail with a long hat covering part of his face. Irvine Kinneas.

The woman laughed despite her situation. "You're good. Now that I'm in the unluckier position I'll propose a deal with you, why don't we trade off? You ask a question, I answer then I ask a question and you answer. We each get to ask three questions. Deal?"

Leon simply nodded, he didn't want to argue. He started, "Who are you?"

"My name is not important. However, I am the leader of the Forest Owls. Timber's main defensive line against the creatures of darkness. Therefore, you may call me Owl." The woman took a step forward. Leon cocked the gun and the woman halted before she asked, "Now who are you?"

Leon glanced at Irvine who eyed him suspiciously. "Call me Leon," he answered. He didn't use Laguna's surname since it would be too easy for Irvine to associate him with Squall. "I fight those creatures of darkness with my two companions." Leon purposely left out where Sora and Kairi were so she would use up another question without prying too much.

"So," Leon continued. He knew all he really needed to know now about Owl and knew Irvine well enough but didn't want to arouse suspicion by not asking about Irvine. "Who is the guy I'm holding at blade point?"

"Irvine Kinneas," Blade answered. "He's a member of SeeD who I just met. We were discussing trade options when you arrived on the scene. My turn, where are your two companions?"

Leon almost smirked, but he knew better. Irvine grimaced though, he knew that had been Leon's trap from the start and couldn't believe Owl had fallen for it. "Scouting the area. We figured it would be best to split up." Leon thought for a second before deciding on his final question. It would be risky to show this much interest, but he had to get to his old files to reexamine the clues about who his attacker might be. "This one is for Kinneas, how can I get in touch with SeeD?"

Still wary, Irvine answered, "We don't get in touch with strangers very much. Captain's order."

"And who is this captain?"

"You've used your three questions!" Owl exclaimed.

Leon responded by pressing the blade harder against Irvine. He hated harming his old friend in any way, but he wanted to hear directly from a SeeD member who had become in charge, not Kiros or anyone.

Finally, Irvine answered so Leon knew this information wasn't exactly secret. After all, SeeD students were trained from an early age to withstand certain methods of information extraction such as the one Leon was using. "We don't really have one. We all take care of each other. I guess our commander is technically Seifer Almasy since our true leader disappeared three years ago." Leon glared at Irvine, prying for more information. "Surely you've heard of Squall Leonhart?"

Leon's eyes flashed as Irvine made eye contact. Irvine was catching on to something about Leon.

"Stop!" Owl shouted. "You're breaking the rules!"

Leon was glad for the interruption. It had broken the spell that caused Irvine to realize there was more to Leon than met the eye.

"Sorry," Leon growled. "Rules aren't my thing, too many people and things break them for me to care."

"Why do you fight then?" Irvine asked.

Leon glanced at Owl. "Your final question?" She nodded. Leon met Irvine's visible eye and answered, "The creatures of dark ruined my life. I've made it my purpose to destroy them. It's for nothing more than revenge."

At that second Leon heard the noise he had grown to despise, the sound of portals opening. Swiftly, Leon threw the pistol to Irvine and gripped his blade with both hands.

The heartless began to pour out of the portals and Leon begun to swing. Luckily, they were only shadows and there weren't all that many. Leon easily defeated them all except for one which Irvine had shot.

Irvine nodded to Leon. "We'll be in touch," he promised before he turned and went out of sight around a corner. Leon didn't follow. Owl had disappeared as well.

Leon sighed. Things had definitely not gone according to plan already.

* * *

Rinoa was walking towards the old pub. What most did not know was that there was a secret room behind the bar which was used as a sort of hospital. She would drop the kids off there before leaving Timber for Centra. How she would get there, she still didn't know, but she was resolved.

As she walked into the large square by Timber Maniacs she heard an odd whooshing sound. Out of nowhere the fearsome dark creatures came out of black portals.

"No," Rinoa whispered. She could perform easy magic, yet she was still too weak to perform the advanced magic that would clear the creatures and seal the portals for the area. She didn't have long to worry though since a man with bright red hair and Irvine quickly destroyed all the creatures and no more arrived.

Irvine said something to the man before disappearing. Then the man turned to face Rinoa.

* * *

Leon watched Irvine disappear before turning around to head back to the entrance where he would radio Sora and Kairi.

To his shock, in front of him were Sora and Kairi unconscious and floating, with a beautiful girl with dark hair in a black outfit facing him.

Rinoa had found him already.

* * *


	15. Chapter 15: Return of a Hero

**Return of a hero**

**Sorry for the delay in updating again!! And sorry this chapter is pretty short! I don't think it's very well edited, but I rarely think anything I publish is anymore. **

**I hope you guys like this chapter and thank you **_**very**_** much for the reviews I've gotten!!**

* * *

Rinoa would never admit it, but she was afraid. She was in Timber with two unconscious kids in dangerous times and there was a red-haired stranger staring at her intensely. Rinoa hated being scared and would do whatever she could to cover it up.

She glared at the stranger and commanded him, "Tell me who you are!"

--

Her voice brought Leon back to reality. He had been unable to move at the sight of his love whom he had not seen in years. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and feel her lips against his, but he knew he couldn't. He had to keep his cool and hide his identity, at least for now. It would hurt him insanely, but he could not let Rinoa recognize him, not matter the means.

"Why should I?" Leon responded in a lazy tone. He pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses from his sweatshirt and placed them over his eyes. If Rinoa saw his eyes, she would be able to see the longing and the pain, she would be able to see through the disguise and realize it was Squall. At least, he secretly hoped that would be what would happen.

--

Rinoa was shocked. Nobody ever defied her anymore. She was a member of SeeD, she was a sorceress, and one of the last protectors from the shadows. She was famous. Whenever she ordered something, it was done without question.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked the stranger.

--

Leon took a step closer and cocked his head to the side. He commanded himself to do what he had to keep the suspicion away and said something he never would have (despite whether or not he meant it), "I know you are one hot chick that looks like you could keep me entertained all through the night."

Leon felt the air's temperature rise a few degrees and looked at Rinoa in shock. She was fuming and air was rushing around her. He had most definitely made her mad and underestimated her power.

--

Heatedly, Rinoa said, "I am Rinoa Heartilly, the last known sorceress. I am a top member of SeeD, the group that aspires to bring flowers of hope to the world."

--

Leon held back a laugh at the last part. He wasn't sure if Rinoa was kidding when she used the line he reserved for people to say when being tortured. "I know all about SeeD, but I've never heard of you before." He took another step closer so there was only a few feet between them and started to circle her. "Wait, now that I think about it your name does sounds familiar…Were you the one that finally deflowered the emotionless Squall Leonhart? Man, that guy was a prick." Rinoa merely blinked in shock and anger. He was the only person to ever bring up Squall without being cautious around her, let alone insult him.

"I heard," Leon began when he was directly in front of Rinoa again and crossed his arms carelessly, "the guy dumped you and ran away like a coward. Him disappearing is just a cover story you made up to spare your pride and to let the world keep treating you as a hero."

--

Rinoa glared at Leon like she had never glared at anyone else before, even more than she had at Squall in their early days. "Never ever call Squall Leonhart a coward, especially in front of me!" She yelled.

--

From what he had heard, Leon had figured Rinoa would only be a shell of who she used to be, but from what he had seen she was even more fiery than before. He had to admit that he was glad she wasn't moping over his disappearance with every ounce of energy she had.

Rinoa reached into one of her dark combat boots and pulled out a slim dagger. Leon, who was usually fearless, became a little scared then. He hadn't meant to make her mad enough to fight. He was a little flattered though that she still apparently cared so much for him, that she would fight a stranger over a simple insult, he was also a little worried about what trouble she might've gotten into over the past few years. However, his fear of the present dwarfed those feelings. Leon did not want to harm Rinoa and he did not want her to harm him as he knew she easily could, with weapons or words.

"There's no need for violence," Leon said evenly as Rinoa pointed the dagger at him.

"Feeling a little scared?" Rinoa asked harshly. "Do you really think you are braver than Squall?" Rinoa pulled at the hilt of the dagger and it suddenly transformed. In Rinoa's hand there was now a gunblade.

Leon stared. When he had left, Rinoa had only used her pinwheel, which he noticed was attached to her left wrist. Now she had a light gunblade, like Seifer's, that she could hold in one hand with the pinwheel on the other.

Without warning, Rinoa swung the blade up so it was half an inch away from where Leon's scar was hidden behind magic. He didn't flinch though. "Do not insult Squall ever again or next time I'll move my blade a little farther," Rinoa commanded in a steel tone.

Leon only stared at the blade. Near the hilt was a small emblem, it was that of a lion and a dog sitting side-by-side. A lion, like his last name and Griever, and a dog, like Rinoa's beloved pet, Angelo.

Rinoa was about to ask him a question when a sound Leon hated rang out, the sound of portals opening.

* * *

"Aerith…."Yuffie said quietly and sadly during another sunset. She stared out at the Ravine, a place where Aerith rarely left as she waited for Cloud and Leon. "Can't you come back to your apartment? I don't think the guys will mind that much."

With a small smile Aerith replied, "I'm fine here Yuffie, really."

Yuffie sighed and kicked the ground. "It's been two weeks since Leon left and at least a month since Cloud disappeared. Aerith, the chances of either of them coming back is small. You can't spend the rest of your life waiting."

"Giving up on me already Yuffie?" A deep voice with a hint of laughter said from the bottom of the Radiant Garden castle.

Excitement written all over her face, Aerith leaned over the cliff and saw a mess of spiky blond hair. Next to him was a man with dark hair spiked backwards that Aerith didn't know, but he was obviously a friend of Cloud's so Aerith already liked him.

"Let's go Yuffie!" Aerith exclaimed as she started to run down the ravine and to where Cloud was with his friend.

Yuffie could only stand in the same spot with her jaw dropped. Cloud was back, already.

Yuffie dimly registered the sight below her where her best friend jumped into the arms of the only one to truly penetrate careful wall Aerith had surrounded her heart with as she wondered where Leon might be at that very second.

* * *

Leon glanced at the unconscious forms of Sora and Kairi. "Wake them up!" He commanded Rinoa as the heartless started to fall out of the portals.

"They're only kids!" Rinoa answered as she fired at one of the shadows.

Leon shook his head as he entered his battle stance, "They can fight expertly!"

Rinoa had no reason to believe the stranger so she didn't. Instead of waking the two up, she rose them higher up in the sky so the shadows could not reach them.

"Damn it," Leon whispered when he realized what she had done. However, he didn't have time to argue with her as a soldier heartless threw itself at him.

As Leon swung his gunblade down on another heartless he yelled out to Rinoa, "We're going to need those two!"

However, Rinoa did not reply to him. She was too busy fighting.

He spun around at one point to defeat a heartless that was coming at him from behind and his breath stopped as he watched Rinoa skillfully swing her gunblade at a heartless and fire her pinwheel at another. She had reworked the wheel so she could fire with the same hand it was attached to and she no longer recoiled from it. With her blade she could destroy soldiers in two quick swipes.

Another shadow launched itself at Leon's face and he awoke from his little reverie and began to fight again.

"So what's your name?" Rinoa called out above the fighting.

Leon realized there was no point in hiding the last name he had given himself. "My name is Leon Loire, those two kids are my companions. We have made it our duty to fight the shadows!"

Leon had hoped to distract Rinoa from his surname but it did not work. "Did you say Loire?" She shouted. "Do you know Laguna Loire?"

Rinoa's breath caught in her throat as she waited for a reply from the powerful stranger who she disliked, but at the same time, was drawn towards.

"His grandfather is my great-grandfather! So yeah, he's my first cousin once removed! I haven't seen cousin Laguna in forever though, do you know him?"

"I knew his son," Rinoa said quieter as she tried to attack a large body only to be tossed backwards.

"Hit it from behind!" Leon ordered, a hint of concern in his voice; Rinoa was so distracted with thoughts of Squall she missed the concern altogether. "Laguna had a son?"

A sad look was in Rinoa's eyes as she answered, "Yes. Squall Leonhart was the son of Laguna Loire."

"That pansy!? Son of Laguna?!" Leon called out in fake surprise.

He was honestly surprised when he felt himself get grazed on the shoulder with a pinwheel. "I told you not to insult him!" Rinoa exclaimed in explanation.

"We're in the middle of a battle! Do you really think this is the time for yelling at me because I insulted poor little Squall?" Leon shouted as he cast a fire spell at a nearby Blue Rhapsody. _These heartless are stronger than just the shadows and soldiers I thought had invaded my world. What's going on?_

Out of nowhere, a large body slammed into Leon. He had been caught off guard; that hadn't happened since he had first started his training in Traverse Town. Leon was thrown a few feet so that he collided with Rinoa. He ended up knocking her over so they were both on the ground facing each other with Leon on top.

There were two dull thuds a few feet away. Apparently, Rinoa had dropped Sora and Kairi in her shock of Leon colliding with her. Leon didn't notice though, he was too busy staring from behind his sunglasses into Rinoa's angry dark eyes. He discovered he couldn't move, he was too drawn in by her.

* * *

"Is that, is that," Sora stammered while he fought the heartless and gaped at Leon on _top_ of a **girl**. Leon, who could never admit to feeling any sort of emotion, was staring at the girl, Sora was sure through the sunglasses he had put on, his cold eyes were shining with love.

Kairi shook her head and whispered in Sora's ear during a lull in the fighting, "Yes Sora, that is Rinoa. We need to clear the heartless and get him away as soon as possible before his identity is revealed to the second person."

Sora, still in disbelief, nodded and started attacking the heartless more ferociously, Kairi by his side with her own keyblade.

* * *

Rain began to splatter down on Rinoa and Leon. Rinoa wanted to cast a spell that would shove Leon off of her, but for some reason she felt intrigued by the stranger and did not.

"I…I…" Leon started as he tried to find the right words. Words that would let Rinoa know that he, Squall, was alright and trying to make things better, without giving too much away. However, as was usually the case for him, he found no words.

Instead, Leon carefully moved his head into Rinoa and paused for a second. He saw confusion and curiosity in her eyes. Quickly, he pressed his lips against hers.

* * *


	16. Chapter 16: Sneaking Suspicion

**Sneaking Suspicion**

**I'm so sorry that I'm so bad at updating! I really do try to write on a regular basis, but life has been so hectic between school, college application, friends, newspaper, work, etc. that I really have no time to relax.**

**I'm truly sorry for the extra long delay in updating. Also, I'm really grateful for the reviews, they make my day :)**

* * *

At first all Rinoa felt was shock. This stranger was actually kissing her, and worst of all, she was _liking_ it. Rinoa felt a horrible, gut-wrenching guilty feeling at the thought, the thought that after all these years when Squall was finally on his way home, she was betraying him.

The next thing she felt was anger, white hot anger. Rinoa was mad at herself and this Leon for causing her to betray Squall. Rinoa quickly picked an extremely painful spell to cast on the freak but before she could actually cast it, Leon stood up. It was as if he sensed her fury and knew what she was planning.

Leon tried to keep a smile off his face. Once, this would have been no problem, he didn't have a reason to smile, but now he had just been kissing Rinoa Heartilly; there was no reason for him not to smile.

He failed as he felt the corner of his mouth turn up. He merely stared at Rinoa, longing beneath his dark sunglasses, before he turned and ran as fast as he could for the town exit, Sora and Kairi at his heels.

* * *

"That girl Leon was macking on….was that…._Rinoa_?!" Sora asked Kairi once the trio was safely back on the Ragnarok and Leon was preparing for take-off in the cock pit and out of ear-shot.

"Of course it was Sora," Kairi answered. "Who else would Leon be kissing, especially in front of us?"

"I don't know but Leon has been acting kind of weird for a while now, almost happy. I wouldn't put it past him to kiss the first attractive girl he saw," Sora partially joked.

"What about you Sora? Will you kiss the first attractive girl you see?"

Sora smiled almost shyly. "Yep," he said as he leaned over and kissed her lightly.

Kairi smiled against his lips and deepened the kiss.

* * *

Rinoa walked at a fierce pace through Timber. She was going to find that pig-headed, masochistic jerk and he was going to pay for violating her.

However, beneath all the anger, somewhere distant and foggy, she recognized something about those lips. Something she couldn't quite place her finger on.

Another moment passed and as she reached the exit gates of Timber, she turned a knob on the small microphone Selphie had given her. Rinoa spoke quietly in the small black piece of equipment, "Selphie?"

After a few seconds of silence Selphie's voice bubbled into Rinoa's ear, "In trouble already Rinoa?"

"No. I need you to research someone for me."

The seriousness in Rinoa's voice kept Selphie from making any more wise cracks. "Who is it?"  
Rinoa looked into the distance where she thought she saw a bulky object, almost like a space ship, "Leon Loire."

* * *

Leon couldn't keep the stupid grin off his face. He had not only seen a safe and healthy Rinoa, he had kissed her as well. He doubted anything could make him happier. Leon flipped the switch that would fire the engines of the ship. He heard the click but the engines didn't start.

The grin was rapidly wiped off his face. Something was wrong. Something was coming for him and he didn't like it.

* * *

"Rinoa, whatever you're planning do _not_ go through with it. We know nothing about this Leon character and if Seifer or Zell ever found out about it—"

"Seifer and Zell can mind their own business," Rinoa cut Selphie off. "I'm not some little five year old, I can take better care of myself than they could take care of me." Rinoa was now near the bulky object that Leon and the two kids had disappeared on to. It was a dark green spaceship, one that could blend in to the horizon at least a little. Rinoa wondered if it was the same ship she had ordered to be in wait for Squall.

"Look Rinoa, from what you told me, Leon is an expert fighter. He'll shoot first, ask questions later. You need to research him before doing anything rash. Plan before you act," Selphie reasoned.

Rinoa shook her head. "Now you sound like Squall." Rinoa walked under the ship, searching for the retracted walkway.

"See? Rinoa, Squall would want you to think things through."

"Remember Squall's problem Selphie?" There was silence as Selphie tried to decide what problem exactly Rinoa was referring to. Rinoa reminded Selphie with a distant look as she remembered Squall, "He thought too much. He had a hard time simply living."

Finally, she found what she was looking for. A tiny compartment below one of the engines; as long as the engines were off Rinoa could sneak on to the ship undetected. Quickly, she cast a spell that disabled the engines temporarily.

"Rinoa! Please!" Selphie was almost begging now.

Rinoa heard the click as someone tried to start the engines and sighed in relief. She had just barely made it to the ship in time. With a twist on the headphone that was in her ear, Selphie was cut off, Rinoa would check back later to see what she had found on Leon Loire. Until then, she would be doing some research on her own.

Rinoa pulled at a tool she had attached to her belt. It was a wire cable with a steel hook on the end. She expertly loaded the cable into her pinwheel and fired right in front of the engine where she could easily swing into the compartment beneath it. Immediately, she felt herself be pulled upwards toward the bottom of the ship.

* * *

"Sora! Kairi! We have a situation here!" Leon's all-too-serious voice rang out around the ship. "Someone is coming!"

Within the blink of an eye, Sora and Kairi pulled apart from their make-out session. Neither of them wanted to get caught snogging by Leon of all people.

"What do you want us to do Leon?" Sora asked as he ran up into the cockpit where he found Leon frantically hitting switches, trying to get defenses up and running.

"Go outside and secure the perimeter. If there are any heartless, destroy them all. If it is a person, knock them out and come get me straight away," Leon commanded.

Sora nodded and he ran back to Kairi where the two lowered the walkway to the ground and jumped off to see….nothing.

* * *

Rinoa watched the walkway unfold as she carefully climbed into the tiny compartment beneath the engine. She saw the two teenagers hop off onto the ground, giant keys in their hands. Rinoa shook her head in confusion as to how two keys could be weapons but crawled up the small compartment into the area with the giant propeller that helped the ship fly while on the planet's surface. From there she climbed up a small ladder which led her to a cramped and blazing hot room. She looked around but saw no obvious way out. Rinoa knew she had to think quickly or else Leon might find her and she had a feeling that if that happened things wouldn't turn out too well.

Rinoa heard it after another minute of searching for a way out of the heated room. A set of heavy footsteps was walking to where she was. Desperately, Rinoa now looked for a place to hide instead of a way to escape.

* * *

Leon figured the best way to solve the problem was to go to the propeller itself. He knew there was a tiny maintenance room in the ship and he was going to find out what, or who, was causing the problem with the ship.

* * *

When Irvine returned to the ship after his dealings in Timber, all Selphie wanted to do was hug him as tight as she could and never let go. However, she knew she couldn't, unless she wanted to give something away to Seifer or Zell .

"Anything strange happen in Timber?" Seifer asked Irvine menacingly once Irvine sat down on a chair in the Ragnarok.

Irvine met Seifer's stony gaze with a skeptical expression. "Why? Has something happened here?"

"Answer your commander!" Seifer thundered.

Anger coursed through Irvine. He hated being yelled at and he hated authority even though he was a SeeD, a mercenary designed to follow orders. Selphie walked over to Irvine and placed a hand on his shoulder to soothe him.

After a moment, Irvine finally answered Seifer. "I was attacked by a man with red hair and…a gunblade…. He was good."

Seifer cracked his knuckles. He wasn't expecting this. He slammed a fist down. "Did you get his name Kinneas?"

"He called himself Leon," Irvine responded as he tried to remain calm to Seifer.

"Damn it Kinneas! Couldn't you get his real name?"

Selphie's green eyes flashed, "Calm down Seifer! It isn't Irvine's fault! Explain to him what happened so he can understand where you're coming from better."

Irvine looked up at Selphie with a confused expression. "Wait, what happened?" He asked.

Seifer glared at Selphie before he sighed. "Rinoa disappeared this morning. She must've left the ship when you were in Timber." Seifer put his head in his hands, showing a side he never showed anyone. "I failed him…. I failed Squall…I lost Rinoa."

Pity took over both Irvine and Selphie's faces but neither said anything to comfort Seifer, for there were no words.

* * *

Right when Rinoa heard a handle get turned as if to open a door from a little to her right, she thought of a plan. Rinoa quickly cast a spell on herself that lowered her body temperature considerably and set the propellers back to work.

"Leon! There's no one around the ship!" Rinoa heard someone call.

Leon didn't want to not investigate the maintenance room but he knew he had caused enough trouble around Timber and he had to get out before people started to question his shaky history, especially Irvine and other SeeD members. Plus now that the propellers were working, that room had to be extremely hot and dangerous; there would be no way that someone was in there now and alive.

With reluctance, Leon made his way back to the cockpit.

* * *

"You were perfect with Seifer," Selphie whispered to Irvine once they were alone in the cockpit and the door was locked. She carefully maneuvered herself onto Irvine's lap and placed her head on his shoulder.

"You alright Selphie?" Irvine asked, surprised by the affection she was showing him.

Selphie turned her head and looked up at Irvine's face that was bent down towards her. She took off his large hat and threw it aside. His damaged face had never affected her or her feelings at all and she enjoyed being able to see his face.

"I was worried," Selphie whispered. Rinoa told me about what happened to you. That Leon sounds like an amazing fighter, one used to war. I didn't think he would let you just walk away."

"Spunky Selphie was actually worried?" Irvine laughed a little.

Selphie frowned. "The times are dangerous Irvine. You never know when the next time you see someone will be the last. Of course I worry, I just try to hide it as best as I can."

"Someone you love may disappear before your very eyes…"

"But that's why we fight," Selphie finished knowingly.

After a moment of silence, Irvine asked what he had wanted to since his return on the ship, "How's Rinoa?"

"She met up with Leon too. His last name is Loire, like Laguna. She wants us to research him."

"And let me guess, she thinks she can handle him by herself and followed him."

"That's my guess too," Selphie sighed in frustration. "She just doesn't think things through."

"She just misses Squall and wants the world to go back to what it was…I guess she thinks this Leon guy is a clue."

"That doesn't stop me or anyone else from worrying about her. Rinoa is a good fighter, there is no point in arguing that, but there's no way she can beat a master of war."

Irvine laughed, "I don't know about that. If he made her mad enough, Rinoa could kick anybody's ass." Irvine kissed the top of Selphie's head. In a more serious voice he added, "I'll do my best to let you worry less Selphie, to let you return to those happy days."

Selphie smiled against Irvine's shoulder. "Irvy Kinnepoo! I'll make you happy!" Selphie suddenly exclaimed as she leaned away from his shoulder and looked into his eye.

Irvine laughed and moved in to softly kiss Selphie.

* * *

The heat of the engines firing back up was starting to get to Rinoa despite her lowered body temperature. She needed out of the maintenance room.

Rinoa ran to where she thought the door was after hearing the latch. She desperately pushed on the wall while she hoped Squall or the two kids were nowhere near by.

Finally, Rinoa felt the wall give and she tumbled out into the much cooler hallway in the ship. Rinoa released herself from her cold spell while she tried to get her bearings straight.

After a moment, Rinoa realized she needed to move. Only an idiot wouldn't keep watch around where they thought something mysterious had happened.

Though she was disoriented, Rinoa quickly got to her feet and started to run to anywhere she could hide. However, something blocked her way.

Rinoa stopped running and stared at the thing. It was short, thin, and bright red at the top. When her eyes focused Rinoa realized that sure enough the maintenance room was being guarded.

* * *

"Boss," a slimy voice whispered. "There is someone fighting the shadows you control…and winning."

A person, cloaked in all black with a blood red mask covering their face and eyes, said in a harsh tone, "You really think I don't know this? Ignorant fool. I am testing this warrior as we speak."

The voice, now even quieter and with more fear, asked, "Boss, who are we dealing with?"

The Boss turned and pointed at a screen where an image was frozen of a man who held a gunblade at the one-eyed SeeD, Irvine Kinneas' neck and a pistol aimed right at a young woman in the distance.

"We may be dealing with someone I thought long dead," The Boss said quietly in their unisex voice, "Squall Leonhart."

* * *


	17. Chapter 17: Mysterious Loner

**Mysterious Loner**

**Sorry for all the romance in the last chapter. I honestly didn't even realize that how much of it there was ha.**

**This chapter may be a little off because, unlike my other story, I wrote most of this chapter after my journalism teacher told me I rarely "show basic writing and editing skills." I mean, maybe I am taking it a little too hard but I've had her for three years so her opinion means a lot to me…So anyway, I'm sorry if this chapter is off and short.**

**Thank you for reading, and thank you to those who review. You guys are what keep me writing when people try to stop me.**

"Hi Rinoa," Kairi said quietly. I figured you would be able to sneak on the ship."

Confused, Rinoa blinked as the skinny red-figure came into focus and she realized it was the girl she had put to sleep earlier. "_Who are you_?" Rinoa asked bluntly.

Kairi smiled kindly. "I'm Kairi. I'm part of Leon's team."

"But you're only a kid," Rinoa whispered as she desperately tried to get her bearings straight.

Kairi laughed a little. "I've been through more than you think," she answered simply.

Rinoa tilted her head as she tried to focus in on the girl, Kairi, and asked "What are you going to do with me now that you've caught me?"

"Take you to Leon," Kairi answered. "Don't worry, he won't harm you."

"What makes you so sure?" Rinoa asked warily. She had been trained to never be taken captive and never ever trust a captor.

"Leon is a nice guy," Kairi answered with a small smile.

There was something in that smile that left Rinoa wondering more about the enigmatic Leon.

Kairi led the way through the ship to Leon, trusting Rinoa the whole time. She never took Rinoa's weapons or looked back, she just assumed Rinoa would follow. Rinoa grinned, it would be easy to commandeer this ship if everyone was as trusting as Kairi.

Selphie slammed her fist down on a control panel. "There's NOTHING!" She exclaimed loudly to Irvine. "There has never been a record of a Leon Loire in any military file anywhere!"

With a sigh of frustration, Irvine added, "There isn't a record of any sort about him in Galbadia, D-district, Timber, Balamb, Esthar, or FH either."

Irvine ran a hand through his auburn hair. "You know what this means Selphie?" He asked quietly.

Selphie sadly nodded. "We find this 'Leon Loire' and bring him in for questioning…"

"Which then brings Rinoa back here…"

Neither liked the idea of aborting Rinoa's mission, whatever it was, but they liked the idea of Rinoa being with a complete and total stranger who happened to be an expert fighter even less.

"Leon," Kairi said quietly to the man staring blankly at a board of controls.

Leon said nothing in response nor did he turn, he just waited for Kairi to continue.

"I found someone by the maintenance room," Kairi said with a hint of a smile.

Faster than anyone had ever moved, Leon swung his chair to face Kairi and saw behind her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, Rinoa Heartilly.

Quickly, Leon returned the dark sunglasses to over his eyes and then stood up. He reached out his hand as if to shake hers towards Rinoa, wanting to feel her skin beneath his again, however, she made no gesture in response.

Leon laughed. "Don't want to shake my hand?" He asked as he kept up the charade of Leon.

Rinoa said nothing while Kairi nodded her head at Leon and left the small cockpit so Leon and Rinoa were left alone.

"Quistis," Irvine said over the radio.

"Irvine?" Quistis replied in confusion a few seconds later. "I haven't seen any shadows on this raid yet if that's what you're wondering."

Every once in a while, Quistis went around the world searching for answers about the creatures of dark, survivors—anything to help the world's situation.

"No," Irvine replied. "I simply need you to find someone who calls himself Leon Loire, that alright?"

"I'm not a person delivery service Irvine," Quistis said and Irvine could see the mental eye-roll. "But I'll do it."

"How soon can you find him?" Irvine asked anxiously.

"Depends on how many details you can give me."

Irvine brought up a screen with a compilation of what he and Selphie had gathered so far. "He looks to be in his early 20's, has vivid red hair, wears dark sunglasses, boring clothes, uses a gunblade, knows Kiros, travels with two teenagers, approximately fifteen, and claims to be related to Laguna. He has already been to FH and Timber."

Quistis grinned. "Give me one day and I'll have him. Where should the rendez-vous point be?"

Irvine thought about it for a second. He didn't have the authority, but he decided anyway, "The Ragnarok."

"Let's start over okay?" Rinoa started after a few minutes of her and Leon staring awkwardly at each other. She had planned on yelling, screaming, fighting, and eventually taking Leon out, but suddenly that plan disappeared when Kairi had left the room. Rinoa could not understand why she was so interested in him, all she knew was that she wanted to understand Leon better.

Leon didn't know what to say, he never did. As she always had, Rinoa opened the conversation. Leon smiled a little, "Alright. Now that we're not in battle, this should be easier."

"I'm Rinoa Heartilly. I'm a member of SeeD, the world's last defense."

"You must have a pretty crummy defense system if all your citizens live in fear," Leon said.

Rinoa glared. "You're kind of mean, you know that?" She asked him.

Leon grinned. "Thanks. My name is Leon Loire by the way, I'm a rogue. I travel with my companions and fight who and what we can in our ship. We go wherever we go so how about you pick our next destination?"

This was too perfect. Rinoa knew exactly where she wanted to go. Sure it was against her principles to trust a captor, but this was the perfect opportunity. "Take me to Centra!" she said eagerly, "There's a run-down orphanage that I want to go see."

Leon tilted his head to the side. "Why?"

Rinoa didn't answer. She just looked down at the ring she wore on her necklace, Squall's ring. "I have someone I'm supposed to meet there," she said simply.

"All right. We'll go," Leon answered.

_So much for my disguise. I can't let Rinoa go to the flowerfield and not be there. I can't break my promise to her. Never._

"Sora, can you and Kairi keep watch at four a.m. after you get some sleep?" Leon asked Sora as they landed in a dense forest for the night. Leon knew it had been a long day and the kids needed sleep more than he did.

"Leon, we can take over earlier if you need us to!" Kairi said as she entered the cock-pit before Sora could answer. Kairi knew Leon had to be exhausted.

Leon shook his head. "No, you two need sleep. I'll be fine. I've been on missions where I don't get sleep for days before. You two are only fifteen."

"You can't do everything by yourself you know," Sora threw out there. "You're nowhere without the people around you Leon. We can do our fair share so you can get your fair share of rest. We traveled across a universe today, we're all exhausted."

Leon knew it was pointless to argue, they were wasting time. "Fine, if you guys happen to wake up before four, you can take over watch duty but I won't wake you up until then.

"Good Leon, you're learning some things about teamwork, even in your old age. See Kairi, you can teach an old dog new tricks," Sora joked.

"Get out of here kid," Leon ordered sternly. However, there was a very small smile across his tired lips.

"I thought you three were a team," Rinoa whispered as she walked into the cock-pit to see Leon hovering over a dozen monitors.

"We are," he answered shortly. It was late and he was trying to be on his guard. Even though he knew Rinoa was about to figure out who he was, he still wanted to keep it secret. If Kiros could guess as easily as he had, who knew who else could figure it out and how quick his disguise would be ruined and then, whoever had summoned the heartless would know of his return.

"So why is it five in the morning and they're still sleeping while you're keeping watch all by yourself?"

"We take turns, it's my turn."

"It's been your turn all night Leon."

Leon propped his arm on the armrest of his chair and laid his head in his hands. "Why do you care?" he replied shortly. "They need their sleep anyway."

"So do you," Rinoa encouraged. She wanted to be nice to Leon because he had agreed to take her to Centra and, deep down, he reminded her a little of Squall with how he wouldn't let anyone else do anything.

"Just go to bed Squall," Rinoa said as she placed a hand on Leon's shoulder.

"What did you call—" Leon started but was cut off by a sharp, intense pain.

Suddenly, Rinoa felt Leon tense and saw him double over. "Leon?" She asked in confusion.

Leon made no response. He just fell off the chair and onto the floor, violently convulsing.

Barely noticeable, Rinoa saw he kept moving his hand to where she had placed hers on his shoulder. She cast a spell to remove his shirt and saw his mesmerizing muscles. However, she couldn't admire them because right away she saw the problem.

Forming, right above his heart was a rather large, almost glowing, wound. Rinoa threw off Leon's sunglasses. "Leon, Leon, look at me, she ordered!"

Leon's head turned towards Rinoa, but it was as if he was looking past her. Rinoa saw in his eyes not only signs of the physical pain, but a much deeper, much more vast, emotional pain. Leon silently raised one of his hands out as if reaching for something before his eyes rolled back into his head.

Frantically, Rinoa started mumbling incantations. She didn't know which spells she was saying, she just desperately hoped they were the right ones to heal Leon.

Finally, Rinoa placed a hand over the wound itself.

With a flash, Rinoa found herself in her reoccurring nightmare that she lived everyday.

She was running. Running through Timber, through Galbadia, Balamb, through Garden, through even Lunatic Pandora. Always, a dark storm is going on above her head when she arrives at a flowerfield. Hope fills her and she screams for Squall.

Rain starts to fall down all around her, soaking her. Thunder claps and drowns out her pleas for Squall.

Nobody comes. Squall doesn't fulfill his promise. Rinoa falls down onto her knees and begins to desperately cry.

Rinoa wanted to get out of her dream. This is where she has always woken up, but this time she didn't.

She suddenly found herself walking around a cold, dark, and empty land. A terrible land she had walked years before when Squall had died during the fight with Ultimecia.

Just as calmly and steadily as she had back then, Rinoa walked throughout the land until something caught her eye. A something like a body.

Desperately, Rinoa ran to the body, hoping she would be able to heal it just as she had healed Squall years before.

However, once Rinoa reached the body, it disappeared; She didn't get a chance to see who it was. Rinoa found herself back on the ship and Leon was sleeping peacefully on the ground.

Rinoa lifted her hand that was still on the wound to see there was no marking whatsoever. The wound had disappeared.

Confused, Rinoa quickly ran to the room Leon was letting her use. As she passed Sora's she heard him rummaging around, about to get up and discover a shirtless and knocked out Leon.

"Leon wanted me to tell you he's sorry about this morning," Sora said uncomfortably. "And he wants you to know we'll be arriving to that place you wanted to go within the next couple of hours."

Rinoa nodded. As Sora turned to leave the room, Rinoa felt an impulse to ask him how Leon was, but then decided that would make it seem like she cared about Leon when really she didn't. She only wanted to understand him and his motives for fighting the creatures of dark. Rinoa wish it had been Kairi who had given her the update. Kairi would probably understand.

Rinoa stared out the window of the room she was in and sighed. The sky was beautiful. It was hard to imagine that down on the surface below, everyone lived in fear. It was so peaceful up in the sky.

Rinoa smiled again as she saw a bird fly by. In just a couple of hours she would see her long lost love again, she was sure. "I can't wait to have Squall's arms around me again," Rinoa sighed. She missed the security and love his arms used to provide.

She continued to stare out at the blue sky when something caught her eye.

That something made Rinoa's blood run cold.

A small ship was flying towards their own, yet it wasn't just a random ship. Rinoa knew who the pilot was: Quistis had found her.


	18. Chapter 18: Tracker Escape

_**Real quick, I meant to upload this two days ago, but just as I started to upload it my internet went down. Sorry about that and for the extra long delay for this chapter. I will try to do better for the next one. Have a nice day.**_

**Tracker Escape**

**I don't know if this chapter is up to par…I've had a really bad month and today has been my first day off from school, work, drama, and such in a really long time. I'm really sorry for the extended delay in updating.**

**Happy Thanksgiving by the way, and if you're not American and so don't celebrate Thanksgiving, Happy November 27, 2008. It only comes once in a lifetime after all.**

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Rapidly, Rinoa ran to the cock-pit to tell Leon. If SeeD had really found them, it was all over. There was no chance Rinoa would be able to ever get to Centra. Seifer and Zell would never let her out of their sight again, she would never find Squall.

"LEON!" Rinoa yelled as she practically flew into the cock-pit. As she suddenly stopped and balanced herself so she wouldn't fall over, she saw a sight that under normal circumstances she would find very funny: Sora was in a seat, hanging upside-down; Leon was staring at her, his sunglasses askew and a mark on his face from his hand as if he been asleep; Kairi, meanwhile, was sitting by herself simply writing in a notebook. They all were looking at her with mystified expressions.

"What's wrong Rinoa?" Kairi finally asked.

"They, they found us!" She exclaimed, remembering the seriousness of the situation. "SeeD's best tracker is flying right towards us. We need to land NOW!"

Without a second's delay, Leon started pounding on the controls and dolling out orders. "Sora, go man the entrance to the ship with the keyblade. Kairi, you know how to fire a gun?" Kairi nodded. "Good. You're in charge of that!" Leon's voice took on a quieter tone as the two left, "Sora, Kairi, don't be afraid to go through with our plan if you have to, and if this ends in a fight, chances are we'll need as many fighters as possible."

The two teenagers nodded before they ran off to where Leon had ordered them.

"What about me?" Rinoa asked. "I can fight too you know!"

Leon shook his head. "I know that."

"Then why don't I go wait with Sora by the door or something?"

"Just stay close to me," Leon said distantly without realizing while manning the controls.

Rinoa froze, _did I just hear him right?_

"I might need you to cast a spell or something," Leon corrected quickly when he realized what he had just said. If Rinoa recognized him now, she might give it away to whoever was coming after them, putting them in even more trouble.

Leon picked up the microphone that broadcasted his voice throughout the ship. "Prepare for a rough landing," he said into it before telling Rinoa, "Get in a seat and strap in, alright?"

Rinoa glared but did what he said all the same.

Suddenly, she saw the ground rush up in front of her. It filled up the large window in the cock-pit. Rinoa almost started to scream, but right at the last second Leon pulled up and crashed into a forest.

The ship stopped moving.

"Thank you Rinoa," Leon said quietly as he quickly moved out of his seat and to her. "You just saved us."

"I didn't do anything," she corrected as she unsteadily undid her seatbelt.

"You really think I piloted this hunk of junk that smoothly? You obviously kept us from crashing straight into the ground and gave us a soft landing in a covered area."

Rinoa blinked. She didn't even think to protect the ship.

"I know you did," Leon said quietly yet confidently before he loudly commanded "Let's go!" and began to run out of the cock-pit calling for Kairi and Sora to get out of the ship as soon as they possibly could.

Leon led Rinoa out and away from the ship and deeper into the wooded area where they had landed. He could hear engines above his head. Whoever was following them was here.

"There!" Rinoa exclaimed. Leon looked over and noticed Rinoa was pointing to a large rock. He gave her a questioning look. "I'll move the rock and we can fit under there. It's a tunnel. Trust me," Rinoa added as Leon continued to eye her skeptically.

The engines grew louder and Leon shook his head. "I better not regret this," he mumbled as Rinoa magically lifted the rock and dropped down into the tunnel.

Leon joined her a second later to discover Rinoa had not been lying. They were now in a moist underground tunnel with torches all around.

"What is this?" He asked, a hint of awe in his voice as he looked around.

"There's no time to explain. Where are Sora and Kairi? The tracker won't know about here, but she'll know all about every other hiding place in this forest," Rinoa said shortly.

Leon's wonder disappeared as Rinoa reminded him that the teens he was responsible for were not right behind him. "Who's in that ship? Which member of SeeD?"

"Quistis."

Leon nodded and pulled himself quickly out of the tunnel. Quistis was a strategic genius, but her emotions were her weakness. He had to find Sora and Kairi quickly or else he would have to toy with Quistis.

"There's going to be a rock illusion over the entrance to the tunnel!" Leon heard Rinoa shout up to him. "You can jump through it, but don't you dare lead Quistis or anyone else down here!"

Leon knew he would rather die than disobey Rinoa just then.

* * *

Leon ran quickly and quietly through the forest's underbrush. He strained his ears, desperately searching for a sound when he realized the engines had stopped. Quistis had indeed landed.

After several moments, Leon heard a voice in the distance, "Reveal who you are, NOW!"

It was Quistis. The years apart hadn't made Leon forget his former instructor's angry tone.

Leon sped his careful pace up to reach a place where he could watch the scene unfold.

"What did you do with her?" Leon heard Quistis press. He knew he was getting closer. "Tell me."

To his left, there was a cliff. Leon headed straight for it and threw himself to the ground. He carefully crawled to the top and discovered he could see Quistis without being noticeable.

Time had changed Leon's old instructor. Her face no longer had anything soft about it like it used to, her features were cold and hard. She no longer wore a bright orange outfit with a skirt but a dark red, harsher, more mobile, one. She had also cut her long blond hair so that it was shoulder length, Leon doubted that she ever put up in a bun like she used to all the time, if she even could with its new length.

Leon crawled a little further up the cliff and saw who Quistis had found. It was none other than Sora. However, Sora was not the care-free teenager Leon knew so well at that second. Leon could see the determination in Sora's eyes even from his spot.

"Tell me, who is the fighter you travel with?" Quistis asked as she took a step towards Sora.

"I believe his name is Loire, Leon Loire," Quistis continued with another step.

Sora glared at her. "If you know so much about him, why ask me?"

"So you can understand me and converse. Good. My name is Quistis Trepe and I'm SeeD's best tracker. Now, who are you?"

Leon had never seen Quistis be this blunt. He had heard that she once been something like this to Rinoa, but she had felt so bad afterwards she endangered a mission to apologize. He doubted she would do that now.

Quistis drew her whip, "I don't want to take in a little boy, but if you do not start answering my questions I will be forced to take you into custody!"

Sora moved his right foot back and brought his right hand down, summoning the keyblade. "If you can catch me," he said.

Almost instantly, Quistis had Sora caught in her whip. It was tightly wrapped around his chest, binding his arms to him. The keyblade fell out of his hand, hit the ground below him, and then disappeared.

Quistis smirked unpleasantly, "You underestimated me."

A look of true fear passed over Sora's face as he looked down to see Quistis' whip wrapped tightly around him. He looked down at his crown necklace, whispered something quietly, and then was surrounded in a brilliant light.

A moment later and Sora's outfit had changed to black and red. He had two keyblades in his hands. His battle stance was low to the ground and he looked ready for an intense fight.

"I think you underestimated me," Sora corrected with a grin of his own right before he charged at Quistis.

Sora's motions were harsh and strong yet so fast it was hard to tell where he was going to strike next. Each blow looked so powerful, Leon had no idea how Quistis was still on her feet after just a few seconds.

Quistis valiantly tried to fight Sora, but she couldn't keep up with his sturdy blows and eventually fell to her knees.

"I did underestimate you…But who could blame me? You are just a kid," she said quietly before she fell face forward into the cool earth.

Sora looked up towards the sky and closed his eyes with his palms up in a serene pose. Light engulfed him again and he hovered for a few seconds above the ground before the light disappeared and he fell to a squat in his normal outfit.

Leon quickly stood and slid down the side of the cliff. "Valor form?" He asked Sora when he was next to him.

Sora gave him a tired smile, "Yeah. It's a little hard to transform though without Donald and Goofy. Kairi was trying to help me, but it just isn't the same."

"Of course Sora. Valor form is the form you get from Goofy's strength, wisdom from Donald, master from your friendship with them, and final from Roxas. I'm surprised you successfully transformed into valor. Kairi gives you her own sort of strength, you just have to find it."

After a moment's silence Leon asked, "Where is Kairi anyway?"

"I'm right here Leon," Kairi said from behind him. She too looked a little worn out.

"We need to get out of here before Quistis wakes up or reinforcements come in," Leon said quickly.

"We can't just leave her!" Sora exclaimed.

Leon frowned. "Yes we can. Quistis can take care of herself. She isn't a defenseless child. She knew what she was getting into when she came after us, she knew the risks."

"No she didn't!" Sora replied. "You heard her! She said she underestimated me! She didn't expect to fight in a forest and pass out."

Leon eyes narrowed, he felt himself becoming more like his old self every day. "Quistis is a trained warrior. She'll wake up sooner than you think and you definitely don't want to be around when she does." Leon stared at his old instructor, his old friend, and did feel bad. Without a word to Sora, he picked Quistis up off the ground and placed her so she was sitting against a tree. "Now, _let's go_."

Sora and Kairi grinned at each other before getting behind Leon so he could lead them to where they needed to go.

* * *

Leon found the tunnel again easy enough. He quickly dropped down into it, Sora and Kairi right behind him this time.

"Took you long enough," Rinoa teased with a relieved smile as she moved her hands, replacing the stone over the entrance.

Leon didn't smile in reply, he only frowned. "We ran into Quistis."

In an instant, Rinoa's smile was wiped from her face. "But you guys are all right?"

"Sora took her down easy enough," Leon answered. Sora grinned sheepishly from behind.

"You," Rinoa began, her eyes wide in shock. "a fifteen year old boy, took out a highly trained special ops commander?"

Sora explained modestly, "She would've been a tough fight if she didn't underestimate me."

"She is okay right? You guys didn't hurt her did you?"

"She only fainted," Sora replied. "Leon wanted to just leave her in the mud, said 'she knew what to exp—Ow!" Sora shouted as Kairi swiftly kicked him in the shin to get him to shut up.

Rinoa didn't even seem to notice, she was too busy staring at Leon with a peculiar expression as if she was putting the pieces of a puzzle together.

"So what is this place anyway?" Leon asked as he tried to shift Rinoa's attention from him.

As she grinned proudly, Leon knew his plan had worked. "This," Rinoa started to explain, "is my own set of catacombs. I have them set up on every continent around the world." Leon remembered where Kiros had led him back in FH, Rinoa must have designed those. "SeeD doesn't know about these and I don't want them to ever find out. These catacombs are the planet's last line of defense and I'm the only person I can trust in SeeD right now."

"So why tell us?" Sora asked matter-of-factly. "I mean, I thought we were the bad guys."

Rinoa shrugged. "You're not in SeeD. You're not a suspect." She offered no more explanation and they didn't press for any more information.

Leon thought he knew what Rinoa was talking about though, _did she find my old notes? Does she know I was suspecting a betrayal before anything happened?_

"Look," Rinoa continued, "We're safe now. Leon, I know you need a nap. There are bedrooms set up a little ways down if you guys want to rest up."

Leon looked at Sora and Kairi again, both were looking tired and he knew he must look rather tired too. He wasn't lying when he told Sora he could go days without sleep, but that didn't mean he wanted to. Plus, after this morning's incident he felt that sleep might be necessary for him to maintain his disguise.

"Sure," Leon answered rather sullenly.

"No need to look so depressed Leon!" Sora exclaimed as he took off down the catacombs. "Sleep is a good thing! It keeps you energized!"

"I think you have enough energy for the both of us."

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"Hey Leon can I talk to you for a minute?" Sora asked in Leon's bedroom. Rinoa said there were five small rooms, each with three sets of bunk beds, but they could each have their own room now if it would help them sleep.

Without a reply, Leon waited for Sora to continue while he changed his shirts into something he could sleep better in.

"Why don't you tell Rinoa who you really are?"

"If she finds out who I am that puts me at only one person left before my disguise is ruined."

"But, but it's Rinoa," Sora reasoned. "Doesn't she deserve to know who you are? She's the one you love and maybe you can't tell, but even I can see she's torn up about your disappearance."

"If she can't recognize me that's her fault, not mine," Leon replied shortly.

Sora glared, "She doesn't expect you to be here, to look and act like you do. How could she recognize you when she's waiting for Squall to come back and you're trying hard to be Leon?"

Leon rolled his eyes and started to climb into a bed. "Whatever Sora."

"You know, Leon, I think you know all that stuff. There has to be another reason you won't tell her. So what is it?"

Leon didn't answer. He just turned over in his bed and faced the wall.

Sora didn't move either, he just stared as Leon lay on top of his covers and waited for a reply.

"I have to protect her," Leon finally sighed. "When whoever it is that tried to kill me before finds out I'm back they're going to want to get me again. The easiest way is through Rinoa. If Rinoa really doesn't know I'm back, she won't be much help to whoever the bastard is. She won't give anything away because as far as she knows, I'm not back. If I were to tell her who I am, it'll be obvious to whoever she talks to that I'm back and safe. She'll make it obvious in the way she talks about me, the way she carries herself…she'll put this whole mission in danger….If I tell her I'll put her in danger… I can't wait for the day to tell Rinoa who I am Sora, but that day can't come for a while."

"Leon, you have some good points, but don't forget: You lost Rinoa once. You could lose her any day again, don't wait so long that you guys run out of time. Kairi thinks Rinoa is starting to fall for you as Leon, she just doesn't realize it yet, so Leon no matter what, she's going to try to protect you."

Once again, Leon made no reply to Sora. He did think about what Sora said. Maybe he should tell Rinoa, he would certainly be happier if he did. He wouldn't have to pretend to be someone he wasn't anymore and he could finally be with the person he loved.

"Don't hide because of uncertainty and danger," Sora said quietly as he left Leon's room. "Don't forget to live….Squall."

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	19. Think I forgot you? Author's note

Hey guys, it's the author, you know EpicNaleyLoVe11 here. Did you guys think I was dead or something? I don't really blame you, but here's what's been going on with me:

I got sick of my stories. I felt like I was OOC all the time and I was just being repetitive, so in order to get my "creative juices" going I took a break. After a while, I started writing again. I actually had The Nightmarish Life in its last couple of chapters and Finding the way back home had several more chapters written. I was going to put some finishing touches onto what I had and start publishing again during my Spring Break (this week). I had so much written I thought I could start doing my weekly (bi-weekly at the most) updates again. I thought my four month absence might be forgiven if I did that.

However, last week my flash drive was stolen. My flash drive had everything on it. These fics, my original stories, my essays for classes and scholarships, _everything_ was on that flash drive, and now some stranger can be looking at all of it.... To make things worse, I didn't back up my files. I have an overnosy family and I didn't want them to read any of my stories so those were safely kept on my flash drive which never left my side. I figured once I got my own computer for college on my 18th birthday, I would start backing them up then... I only had a couple more weeks...

The point of this very long rambling session is this: I'm sorry I have updated in four long months. I didn't forget you guys, but I didn't want to kill my story by writing crap just to get another chapter done. Also, I'm really sorry I don't know when I will update again...I had so much on that flash drive and I definitely don't have it all memorized or the time to recreate it all within a short amount of time.

I'm sorry to all of you, but I thank you all so much for sticking with me, no matter how annoying I may be with my long break between updates and such.

Have a nice day all of you.


	20. Chapter 19: Moving On

**Moving Forward**

**I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK! Yay. I got back to school after spring break and in my homeroom, someone had turned in a red flash drive that looked strangely familiar to me. I plugged it into a computer, and even though it was quite a bit more beat up than when I had last seen it, it was my flash drive with all my files intact.  
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**It seems there are some good people in this world after all. :)**

**I really want to give a thank you to everyone (with a special thanks to Angel Sorano for the helpful PM) who offered me sympathy and support when I thought my stories were gone forever. It really and truly meant a lot to me.  
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**Now this chapter...I don't believe it is at the point where it should be after four and a half months without updating....But it's what I have. It should get better and longer after this chapter though....**

**Please read and review, it is the reviews that inspire me to keep writing despite everything. You guys rock and thank you so much.**

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After two days of resting in the catacombs beneath the forest, Rinoa decided she was fed up and wanted to start back to the orphanage.

"But SeeD has got to be combing this entire continent Rinoa!" Leon reasoned when she informed him she wanted to leave.

Rinoa smirked at Leon.

"What?" He asked in reply.

"You really think I don't realize that? I have a plan."

Leon grimaced and ran a hand through his bright red hair. "Alright, what's this plan?"

Rinoa pulled Leon by the shirt out of the room they had been talking in to the main pathway through the catacombs and pointed down the trail. "We walk all the way up the path."

Leon gave Rinoa a questioning look, "You mean to tell me, you built these catacombs all the way to that place you want to go to?"

Rinoa's smile faltered, "I wanted to be sure I got there if the time came…And…I know the time is right. I have to get to the orphanage."

Leon looked down at Rinoa, he rarely wore his sunglasses anymore since Rinoa had pulled them off when he had collapsed. He had been disappointed that she hadn't seen his true self through his eyes, but knew it was all for the best. Now, he tried to make eye contact with Rinoa, when she finally looked back up at him he asked her quietly, "Is this about Squall?"

She didn't say anything in reply, Rinoa just looked down at her necklace.

Leon could sense Rinoa really didn't want to talk about it so he switched topics back to SeeD's threat. "Won't they know you want to go to that place? Won't they have it under constant surveillance?"

"I can make it there at night! The catacombs go right into the orphanage! There's no way they would be able to see me!" Leon saw the fire in Rinoa's eyes as she shouted at him and knew it would be futile to continue to argue with her. "You know," Rinoa continued, "You don't have to come with me. You got me to Centra, that's all I needed from you."

"I'm not investing this much time into you just to leave you by yourself and not see the big finale when my precious cousin returns!" Leon snapped back.

Rinoa glared at Leon and he returned the glare. Even though he loved Rinoa, there were still times where she could make him angry just like the old days when they first started working together.

"Let's leave now," Rinoa said in a hard tone a moment later.

"Fine," Leon answered. "Just let me get Sora and Kairi and then we can go."

"Did you make this whole set of catacombs by yourself Rinoa?" Sora asked after two hours of walking down the dark tunnel in silence.

"Of course Sora. I couldn't risk anyone who could betray me later finding out about these," Rinoa answered in her usual bright tone. She was still a little miffed at Leon, but decided it was kind of painful to walk so long in complete silence.

"But how?" Sora asked in amazement as he looked up and down the catacombs, staring into the occasional rooms on the side.

Rinoa smirked, "Magic."

"But why let people around the world suffer because you didn't tell them about these tunnels?" Leon asked quietly a moment later.

"I said I didn't trust _builders_," Rinoa said politely, but with a hint of annoyance. "One or two influential people from each major populace know about these tunnels. If the cities were to be ravaged by the shadows, these people would lead everyone to safety. However, if one word is leaked to SeeD, the tunnels will collapse."

"You would let innocents die just because they tell SeeD about your little project!?" Sora exclaimed angrily. Leon glanced back at him and saw an intense look in the fifteen year old's eyes.

"Sora," Kairi whispered and she quickly grabbed his hand to help calm him. "Of course she wouldn't, Rinoa is a good person, right Rinoa?"

Rinoa smiled back at the teenagers charmingly. "Relax Sora, that's what I tell those influential people so they'll be sure not to mention anything to SeeD. They all know the horrors of the sorcerers of past and don't doubt my threat."

"Fear is not the way to win popular opinion. One day, someone is going to come along and challenge you, accuse you of being an evil sorceress," Leon pointed out. Rinoa didn't even notice the concern in his voice.

"Fear is the best weapon right now Leon," Rinoa said sadly. "The creatures of dark have inspired so much fear that nobody has any hope left. Anyone who has ever tried to stand up to the shadows has died, even Squall, the hero of the most recent sorceress war."

"And your boyfriend," Leon said quietly, doubting he really had that much of an affect on people. "That doesn't cloud your opinion? Make him seem like a bigger symbol of hope than he really was?"

"His personal life doesn't matter to many. All people think is if the only one who could stand a chance disappeared early on, how can anyone else ever survive? The only way to get through to people is to show them the only thing they respect now, fear."

After a few more minutes of silence as the rest struggled with the darkness that was apparently in Rinoa, she added, "I don't like doing this. Part of me even hopes someone will turn on me…If it's someone strong, someone who will bring hope to the people of this world….Someone like Squall can pierce my heart."

Leon looked over at Rinoa and wanted more than anything to hold her. She was stony-faced but Leon, cold as he normally was, knew she was in a lot of turmoil right then. However, he also knew Rinoa would not be too happy if he, as Leon, hugged her. She needed Squall at that second to reassure her she wasn't a bad sorceress and that no one would ever pierce her heart. He would never allow it.

"We're here," Rinoa whispered quietly after another few minutes.

"This wasn't that long of a walk," Sora said as he bounced around, his hands behind his head.

Rinoa signaled at Sora to be quiet. "I have to check," she said in a low tone, "that it's night time. Be ready to back me up."

The others all nodded seriously as Rinoa moved her hand and they heard stones moving above their heads. A second later a rope ladder fell down and Rinoa started to climb.

"Let me go first," Leon whispered. "I'll tell them I ditched you a while back if I get caught."

"I can do this myself, thanks," Rinoa whispered back quickly.

"Please Rinoa, let me do this for you, to make up for all the bad things I've done and said to you."

"He's not going to let it go you know," Kairi whispered to Rinoa.

"Fine!" Rinoa sighed as she let go of the ladder and moved aside.

Leon nodded at the rest as he grabbed onto the rope. "I'll be back in a moment."

And with that, Leon started to climb up the long ladder to the top of the catacombs. Without a problem, Leon reached the top. He looked around the old orphanage and even though it was dark and there were no lights, he immediately felt nostalgic. He hadn't realized how much he had missed this place and just outside was the flower field. It was time for him to finally reveal himself to Rinoa, time for him to get over his fear of her rejection, her endangerment. It was time to end the charade.

Leon called down to Rinoa, Sora, and Kairi "It's all clear," before straightening up and getting a better look at his old home.

"Oh trust me, it's not in the all clear," a familiar voice said from behind Leon.

Leon quickly spun out and away from where he was standing, immediately drawing his gunblade. His attacker, who had swung his weapon to where Leon's head had been a second before, quickly turned so he was facing Leon.

"So we meet again Leon," Irvine said quietly as he pointed his gun right at Leon's heart.


	21. Chapter 20: Unmistakable Pain

**Unmistakable Pain**

**Yeah! Only 2 weeks and 1 day since my last update, not bad [for me] right? However, I have bad news...I don't know when I'll be able to sit down and edit the next chapters because I have AP Testing, final projects, a Calculus final, and then Graduation (can't come soon enough, let me tell you). Who knows, maybe I'll want to procrastinate and update again soon, but I don't want to promise anything....**

**Anyway, please Read&Review. I really do appreciate and read all of the reviews! Thank you so much to those that do review, and thank you also to those that just read my stories. All the hits on my chapters and the reviews just make my day so much better!**

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"You're good 'Leon.' If I had known back in Timber all the trouble you would cause, I would've killed ya right then. I had the opportunity to, but I figured there was too much bloodshed in this world anyway, and I thought you might be help to me."

"Irvine…Look," Leon looked at the gun pointing straight at his chest. He knew if he could keep Irvine talking, he might choke, and then Leon could quickly knock the gun out of his hand and draw his gunblade.

"You kidnapped Rinoa, I really wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now."

"I didn't kidnap Rinoa, she just snuck onto my ship alright?" Irvine would show emotion next and that would be Leon's chance.

"Sorry, I know what you're doing, but it won't work. You can't distract me. You're coming with me, and there's nothin' you can do about it," Irvine said and he suddenly pulled the trigger.

Darkness quickly flooded into Leon's vision as the shot hit him straight in the heart. He fell down onto his knees in extreme pain and looked at the hole into the Catacombs and saw a pale hand rise out of it, Rinoa.

"No," Leon whispered as he fell forward onto the stone floor of the orphanage. "Not when we're so close," he breathed out as the darkness overtook him.

"Leon!" Rinoa shouted when her head was above the edge of the hole from the catacombs. "Irvine! He isn't bad!" She exclaimed as she launched herself onto the floor and over to Leon's body.

"Rinoa! You're alright!" Rinoa heard Selphie squeal from a microphone in Irvine's ear, causing Irvine to wince in pain.

"What did you do to him Irvine Kinneas?!" Rinoa asked violently as she bent over Leon and subtly sealed the entrance to the catacombs with magic, Sora and Kairi still secretly hidden.

"Relax Rinoa, it's only a shocker. He'll be up soon enough."

"Unless you want a shocker of your own Irvine, back off."

"Look Rinoa," Irvine said, a hint of warning in his tone, "Seifer wants this guy for questioning. We let you have your fun, but it's gone too far. Squall isn't here! And in your desperation to find him, this Leon character could've gotten you killed, or worse!"

"Rinoa, please just come back with us," Selphie pleaded through Irvine's earpiece.

"Did you tell Seifer about our whole plan?" Rinoa asked, her voice dangerously quiet.

"Cool it Rinoa! We were worried and Seifer was mad!"

"You don't know mad," Rinoa answered in the same quiet tone. Suddenly, a ball of light was in her hand, "but now you will Kinneas."

In a second of panic, Irvine Kinneas fired one shot at Rinoa Heartilly.

As the pain hit Rinoa, her vision was clouded with red, red hot fury. She had just been betrayed by one of her closest comrades. "You'll pay for this Irvine," Rinoa said quietly before she passed out, the ball of light disappearing in her hand.

Irvine didn't let her fall painfully onto the ground like he had let Leon, he swiftly caught her in his arms. Into the microphone connected to Selphie he whispered, "What have I just done?"

* * *

"Something's wrong Sora!" Kairi shouted down to Sora on the ground. "The exit is sealed!" She pushed once again on the circle bit of stone where Leon and Rinoa had climbed out of only to discover it still wouldn't budge.

"Can you hear anything going on above?" Sora called up. Kairi listened hard, but shook her head. She couldn't hear anything.

"What are we going to do Sora?" Kairi asked as she landed back on the dirt ground by Sora. The realization of the situation the two were in suddenly hit her, they were in a strange universe, with no real knowledge of the world they were in, and they were alone.

Sora pulled out the cell phone Leon had given him back in Timber. He quickly dialed Leon's number and listened to it ring….there was no answer.

"We wait," Sora said quietly as he stared at the stone ceiling. "Rinoa has all the exits sealed…Besides, she said there was enough food down here to last a while. Every day we'll check the exit and we hope they come back…"

* * *

"I want to tell her, I do," Leon heard himself saying. "But I'm scared, I'm scared I won't be how she wants me to be. I'm scared by revealing myself to her, I'll put her in danger…" Leon was seventeen again. He was back on his bed in Garden. Thinking about his secret fears, showing nobody but himself a side he didn't like to share, just like he used to do.

"I'm tired of pretending to be someone I'm not. I'm tired of not being able to be with Rinoa, I'm tired of not being able to be with my friends. I'm tired of all the mistrust between us all, the suspicion of who the traitor might be!"

Suddenly, Rinoa was in his room watching him with her head cocked to the side. "You don't want to be with me Squall?"

Leon blinked at her as he sat up, wondering how she could ever ask that.

Rinoa smiled as if she knew the answer without him saying it. "So why don't you let me in Squall? Do we have to go through this again or will you just let me be with you without a fight for once?"

Leon stood up from his bed and punched the wall as he shouted what he wanted most of all, "I don't want the future….I don't want the present….I just want the past and to stay there with you!"

* * *

"What was that Leon?" A mocking voice asked him. "You don't want the future or the present? You just want the past, like a little baby? You can't face what you are?"

Leon didn't have to open his eyes to know who was talking to him, he would never forget the face and voice of his biggest rival, Seifer Almasy.

"Where's Chicken-Wuss when I need him? He'd probably be better with this interrogation, be able to better identify with you or something. _Oh how much I want the past, when times were good, y'know? Or, uh, not good, but when times were at least better?_" Leon felt his hair being pulled and he finally opened his eyes to see Seifer glaring into his face. In a deadly whisper Seifer continued, "But you did something horrible, something where only I can talk to you: you kidnapped Rinoa." With a quick lurch, Leon felt himself fall painfully forward by his hair. "That is blatantly unforgivable! Why did you do it?" Seifer asked harshly.

Leon remained on all fours at Seifer's feet as he considered what to do. There was no way he could escape without knocking Seifer out at the least, but he had no weapon and he noticed Seifer was also unarmed so it wasn't like he could steal his weapon either. It would be a suicide mission to attack Seifer inside of, from what he could tell from his limited view, a ship with people who were most likely loyal to Seifer.

Seifer kicked Leon right in the gut when there was no reply.

"Answer me damn it!" Seifer yelled at Leon who made no sound as Seifer kicked him yet again.

Leon lifted his head and glared directly into Seifer's eyes. "Never," he whispered, defiance radiating off of him,

Seifer growled, "We'll see about that after you feel a little pain!" He roughly grabbed Leon by his shirt and dragged him to a metal table. "I learned this technique when I worked for the sorceress. I haven't ever used it, just only threatened people with it. Wanna know what it does?"

Leon didn't answer he knew exactly what it did. Seifer had used it on him years before, it would send electrical shocks through his body until he either passed out or answered Seifer's question.

"Ya know," Seifer said as he threw Leon onto the table. "I would just tell you, but you kidnapped Rinoa and I just really don't like you, so I think I'll _show_ you instead."

Seifer walked over to a nearby panel and Leon decided if he could jump up and hit Seifer good once and then run, he might stand a chance. However, before he could do anything, Leon felt bars suddenly tighten around his wrist and ankles as the table rotated to an upright position.

* * *

"Let me at him!" Zell shouted as he punched the table at dinner. "I want to teach that asshole a lesson for kidnapping Rinoa and knocking her out again!"

"Calm down Zell!" Quistis commanded. "Seifer is taking care of him!"

Zell looked at his gloved hands. "Seifer won't teach him the lesson right."

"You're kidding right?" Irvine asked harshly. "Seifer is more furious than you about this whole affair, he just isn't so open about it. Nobody hurts Rinoa and Seifer lets them get away with it."

Irvine had been tense ever since he returned with the unconscious Rinoa and Leon. Everyone had simply assumed Leon was the one to knock Rinoa out. Meanwhile, he was worried about her. She should've been awake by dinner.

"Irvine!" Selphie exclaimed from down the hallway. "Come here!"

Irvine got up in an instant and rushed towards Selphie. Her calling him meant Rinoa was stirring, but Selphie didn't want Zell to be there when Rinoa woke up.

Meanwhile, Zell was staring at the doorway which Irvine had disappeared through. "What was that about? You think Rinoa is waking up? I wanna talk to her."

Quistis shook her head. "Zell, it's Selphie and Irvine. She probably just wants something only Irvine can give."

As Quistis planned, Zell turned bright red and suddenly shut up about why Selphie wanted Irvine.

* * *

Rinoa ran through Timber, then Balamb, then Galbadia City (formerly Deling City), Esthar, and FH, yet she couldn't find Squall.

Squall had fought through a universe's divide, but she couldn't even handle the responsibility of finding him and keeping him safe until he was recovered from his journey.

"SQUALL!" Rinoa shouted as loud as she could while she fell to her knees and tears started to flow from her eyes.

"Don't cry," A mysterious voice said in Rinoa's ear. The voice sounded familiar, but different. It sounded like Squall's, but as if he was talking through a pane of glass.

Immediately, Rinoa snapped her head up. "Squall?" She asked as she got up off her knees.

A few feet away she saw a blurry figure with his back facing her. "Squall?!" She repeated anxiously as she started to slowly walk towards him.

"I'm closer than you think," Squall's muted voice said again. "I'm just trying to work things out and then we can be together."

The figure blinked and Rinoa quickened her pace towards him. "Squall, we can do it together, don't try to figure things out by yourself," she whispered.

"I can't rely on anybody though," Squall's voice was growing fainter and foggier with each word. "I thought I could trust my friends, but then they tried to kill me. If they know I'm back they'll try to kill you too."

"That's my danger, not yours. We can get through this Squall!" Rinoa begged as she reached out to grab the blinking figure, just as she touched his coat he turned and disappeared. But not before Rinoa got a glimpse of his face.

Rinoa opened her eyes to see a very worried Selphie and Irvine standing over her.

"Rinoa!" Irvine exclaimed, relief breaking over his face. "I'm sorry Rinoa!" He exclaimed as Selphie hugged her tightly.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Rinoa asked herself as she tried to push Irvine and Selphie off of her. "I should've seen this from the start. It's so obvious now…" _The way he carries himself. They was he'll say things without realizing, things that point right to the truth._ _The wound on his chest, so much like the one Edea gave Squall years ago._

"Where are you going Rinoa?" Selphie asked as Rinoa walked to Selphie's bedroom door.

"Don't follow me. Don't try to contact me. Just let me go," Rinoa said simply to the two. "Just know, I'll be back one day, I promise you."

With that, Rinoa left the couple in Selphie's room and started to walk to the underbelly of the Ragnarok where Seifer's detainee room was, she knew He would be there.

"Are we really just going to let her leave?" Irvine asked Selphie a moment later.

"No," Selphie said simply, "We're going to _help_ her leave. It's not like before Irvine, she knows where Squall is this time." That settled the matter, whether Rinoa liked it or not, Irvine and Selphie were going to help her get away to do whatever it was she needed to do. Irvine nodded, he had shot her, he owed her big time.

* * *

"Why don't you save yourself the trouble and answer the question?" Seifer asked after several shocks to Leon. "Why did you kidnap Rinoa? What connection do you have to her?"

"Why should I tell you?" Leon spat back angrily. His whole body was sore, but he refused to give Seifer the pleasure of hearing him scream and beg for mercy, nothing would ever cause him to do that.

"Because of this dumbass," Seifer said as he sent another round of shocks through Leon's body. "Now what possessed you to take the most powerful and beloved sorceress?"

"You're acting like she's a toy. Rinoa isn't just a sorceress whose feelings can be controlled and manipulated… She's her own person first and foremost…she chose to stay with me…because…I…"

"What?" Seifer asked as he walked over to Leon and looked up into his face hoping he was finally cracking.

"She likes me more than she likes you," Leon finished.

"You son of a bitch," Seifer said as he quickly walked back to the panel and shoved the lever down, sending the worst round of shocks yet through Leon's raw body.

Leon closed his eyes as his body convulsed violently against his restraints. He felt any of his remaining energy and willpower begin to slip away as the electricity continued to flow through his body. Darkness was overtaking him yet again.

The shocks stopped, out of nowhere his restraints disappeared and he fell flat on his stomach.

The cool ground was a relief to his frazzled nerves. He opened his eyes and saw a blurry figure confidently walking towards him before the darkness finally did overtake him.

_Good night._

_

* * *

  
_

Rinoa heard the sound of Seifer's torture machine running. Seifer had only used it as a threat in the past to the suspicious people they had picked up in the past, but she knew he was using it for real now, even though there was no screaming to confirm her suspicion.

Quickly, Rinoa opened the heavy door into the dark room Seifer was using. Sure enough, she saw Leon stretched out a table, electricity flowing through his violently convulsing body.

Like the electricity coursing through Leon, anger began to move through Rinoa rapidly. She lifted her hand, concentrating energy, and the machine shut off.

Seifer turned around, "What the? Rinoa?" he managed to ask before Rinoa said quietly and threateningly, "Sleep," and Seifer instantly passed out.

Without a second more's delay, Rinoa magically removed Leon's bonds and began to walk to the collapsed Leon just as she had walked towards Squall's collapsed body after the fight with Ultimecia.

Just as she had then, Rinoa cradled his head in her lap. She brushed a hair out of his face, but this time at least he was breathing she told herself.

"Squall, I'm sorry I'm so late in saving you, in recognizing you," she whispered quietly.

Leon's eyes opened wide as a bright light engulfed him and Rinoa. Suddenly, he felt the room spinning around him.

* * *


	22. 21:Remember Twilight Before Seeking Dawn

**Remember the twilight before seeking dawn**

**A lot of things have happened in my life since my last update and most were bad to say the least….but I'm finally back with the latest chapter..**

**Thank you to all those who reviewed the previous chapter and please Read and Review this one. I really want to know what everyone thinks about this. Well I hope the past month and a halfish went better for you than me and I hope you have a nice day!**

* * *

"_C'mon Squall, can't you take a break from all you hard work?" Rinoa begged as the Garden flew over the Galbadian plains._

_Squall looked out the window at the peaceful scenery, "I wish I could Rinoa. I wish I could take you out there and have a day of fun, act like we're actually 19. But I can't."_

"_Why not?" Rinoa asked with a playful smile as she took a step towards Squall._

_Squall looked down at her with an expression that plainly said 'You know very well what,' however she did nothing more but look at him with a curious expression so he answered the question. "SeeD exams are coming up, Cid's officially retired and I still haven't found someone to replace him, plus there are still a lot of open instructor positions. Nobody wants to teach anymore, they all want to be SeeDs and go out to help people."_

"_Do any of those things have to be resolved today, __**right now**__?" Rinoa asked as she put her hands in Squall's._

"_No…But there's also this investigation I need to get started on."_

_Rinoa raised an eyebrow. All the other things she knew about, but this investigation was new._

"_There's a rumor of some sort of uprising…Someone or some group wants to take out top SeeD personnel and…resurrect Ultimecia or find some other source of dark magic."_

_Rinoa saw it as Squall explained this to her. It was only there for a second, but to Rinoa it was permanently etched on his face. __**A shadow of suspicion**__._

_Rinoa reached and grabbed Squall's face so he was looking straight into her eyes. "Squall Leonhart," Rinoa began in a serious tone, "I am not plotting to kill you or any other SeeD member. I swear it. I love you Squall, I don't want to kill you. Ever."_

_Squall said nothing in reply, but Rinoa knew very well he believed her and appreciated that she had said it._

"_Besides Squall, if I killed you, I would have to kill myself."_

"_What?" Squall asked, serious concern in his tone._

_With a light teasing smile, Rinoa answered honestly, "I couldn't live without you Squall. If something were to happen…I wouldn't keep living."_

"_Yes you would Rinoa. You're too strong to give up just because of me. I would need you to keep on living, remember?"_

"_You would need me to make sure you became more than just a memory," Rinoa laughed as she placed her lips on Squall's cheek playfully._

_Squall managed to smile lightly, but he still looked too serious for Rinoa._

"_You need a break Squall. You need a chance to lighten up and be a teenager. Here, let's leave Zell in charge, and get Irvine and Selphie to go on a picnic with us. It's beautiful outside."_

"_Do I have to? If I was going to take a break, I'd rather just get a long nap."_

_Rinoa laughed, "You're so boring Squall Leonhart! You have an hour to get everything ready and then we're going to have fun! Ever heard of it?" Rinoa stood on her tiptoes to kiss Squall before leaving to talk to Selphie about her plan._

"_Man, Squall do you ever show emotion?" Irvine asked as he walked out from behind the elevator once Rinoa was out of the headmaster's study._

_Squall merely glared at Irvine in reply._

"_Alright Alright, cool off man. Anyway, could this have worked out any better? A nice day out on the grounds, away from everyone else? A slight breeze blowing through their hair…I'll just roll down a hill with Selphie and let her find the ring—"_

"_So you got the rings right?" Squall cut Irvine off, not particularly wanting to hear where Selphie was supposed to find the ring._

"_That's what I came here to show you before Rinoa popped up," Irvine said as he reached into a pocket in his trench coat. He pulled out two dark jewelry boxes and threw one at Squall._

_Squall easily caught the box and opened it. He stared at the beautiful ring he had specially made for Rinoa. There was a tiny lion and dog sitting side-by-side in the diamond on the silver ring._

"_Hey, Squall, you don't think they suspect do you? I mean, it was a little convenient that Rinoa just happened to come up with this picnic idea the day after I finally got the rings."_

_Squall managed to actually laugh a little, "You really think she expects __**me**__ to propose? When it was me who said we weren't going to get married for a very long time? This will blindside her."_

"_Yeah, and I guess nobody would expect me, the constant ladies man to finally settle down."_

_Squall smirked._

"_Woah, Squall, what's the smirk for? You never smirk so this has got to be big."_

"_Everyone knows you're whipped Irvine. We've just been waiting for you to realize it."_

"_Hey, hey, Irvine Kinneas is __**not**__whipped__. I just want to make my lady friend happy."_

"_IRVINE!" A voice shouted from the doorway. Quickly, Squall and Irvine shoved the rings into their jackets to hide them. Selphie stormed through the door a second later. "Rinoa and I have been looking all over for you. We are all going in a picnic in 45 minutes and we have so much to do to get ready!"_

_She grabbed Irvine's hand when she got to him and despite the foot difference in height, she successfully dragged him out of the headmaster's study._

"_Yeah Irvine, you're not whipped," Squall said under his breath as he once again took the ring out of his pocket and stared at it, mentally going over his plan on how he was going to finally pop the question to the one person who could inspire him to truly live._

* * *

"_C'mon Squall just one picture!" Selphie begged as the four walked across the grass with the sunshine on them._

_Squall just kept walking, not looking at anyone._

"_Squall man, Selphie isn't going to relent. You just gotta give in to the lady," Irvine reasoned._

_With no emotion, Squall kept walking away._

"_Squall Leonhart!" Rinoa shouted from a good fifteen feet behind him. _

_Squall kept walking without altering his pace._

"_Oh, he's going to get it," Selphie whispered in Irvine's ear as they stopped chasing Squall and moved out of Rinoa's path to him._

"_Stop right there Squall! We are going to have one picture together of this day where we're actually having fun."_

_Squall just kept walking. He saw a particularly soft spot of grass a few feet away that he started towards._

"_SQUALL LEONHART!" Rinoa called out loudly while Irvine shook his head and Selphie clapped her hands, excited for the action._

_Rinoa continued heatedly and she began to storm after Squall, "Squall! Turn around right now! You are not going to ruin this day be going into one of your emo stages! Squall, you never just have fu—" _

_Squall's walking figure suddenly collapsed onto the ground, unmoving._

_Selphie, Irvine, and Rinoa abruptly froze._

"_Squall, that's not funny man," Irvine called out to Squall's prone figure._

_There was no response from Squall as he lay on the grass._

_Rinoa let out a scream, "SQUALL!" and she quickly ran towards the body of the one person she could never live without._

"_Squall, Squall, Squall," she repeated as she slid onto the ground next to his body and began touching him, searching for a pulse, for any sign of life. She tried casting healing spells. "Squall, please wake up," she whispered, almost crying._

_Suddenly, Rinoa felt herself be pulled onto Squall's body and heard his extremely rare laughter._

"_Squall Leonhart, that was not funny! I know you don't really know how to crack jokes, and I'm glad you tried, but that was horrible!" Rinoa half-cried, half-yelled._

"_It made you not mad though, didn't it?" Squall whispered quietly._

_Rinoa glared at Squall, suddenly the tears were dry. She punched him, hard, right in the gut. "Nope," she said stubbornly as she got off Squall and sat up on the grass._

_Squall sighed after he flinched at the pain in his stomach. Then he did something, he very rarely did, he sat up so he was even with Rinoa, and kissed her passionately right in front of Irvine and Selphie._

_Both Squall and Rinoa preferred to keep their relationship known, but not completely obvious. They were not a couple to start making-out in public, in fact they very rarely touched in public. However, anyone around them could always tell there was something of some sort going on between the two._

_Irvine bird-called after a little while and Squall pulled away._

"_That made you not mad right?"_

_Rinoa nodded as she smiled her soft smile and stood up, her hand reached out towards Squall to help him up._

_With a very small smile of his own, Squall took her hand, accepting her help._

* * *

"_Alright, fine. I'll agree to one picture," Squall said finally after much begging._

_Selphie glared at him still, "And will you smile?"_

_Squall kept a stony silence._

"_Well then Squall, if you want to play it that way." Selphie cleared her throat, "RINOA! SQUALL WILL BE IN THE PICTURE BUT HE WON'T SMILE!" She yelled out to Rinoa who was trying to cook their picnic lunch a ways away._

_In just a few seconds, Rinoa was already at their side, smiling at Squall. Even though Squall was arguably the most powerful fighter in the world, this smile of Rinoa's sent a shiver of fear through him._

_Rinoa took a step closer to him, morphed her threatening smile into a sweet one, and just like at the ball where they had first met she said, "Oh I get it. You won't smile for someone you don't like. Look into my eyes, you're-going-to-like-me, you're-going-to-like-me." Rinoa took a pause before genuinely grinning at Squall, just a few centimeters from his face, "Did it work?"_

_Squall simply smiled at her in reply._

_Rinoa turned to face Selphie and placed a reassuring hand inside of Squall's. "He'll smile in this picture for you."_

* * *

It was just a simple picture. Everyone takes pictures of days with friends. However, Selphie and Irvine were mesmerized by it as they waited for hell to come when they had to protect Rinoa from Seifer and the others.

To anyone who didn't know the four people in the photo, it would look normal, like there was nothing special. To Selphie and Irvine, however, it was proof how far everyone, especially Squall, had come since they had all first met just two years before.

Irvine was holding Selphie off the ground. She had one arm around his neck and the other extended, her feet were kicking playfully. Both of them had broad smiles on their faces, they truly were two of the happiest people back in those days.

Rinoa and Squall stood next to them. Rinoa was laughing at Irvine and Selphie with a hand over Squall's hands, whose arms were wrapped around her. Squall had put both of his arms around Rinoa, protectively. It was as if he wanted to always keep her near to him, always keep her safe from the dangers of the world. But he wasn't pulling her in, he was leaning away a little, as if to put a small wall up between them.

Rinoa though, obviously didn't have the patience for that. Though Squall wasn't pulling her in, she was leaning softly into him. She was pushing his boundaries, inserting herself into his walled-up world, and Squall didn't mind.

He was smiling, just like Rinoa had said he would. Squall was doing something he hated: he was showing in his eyes and on his face, just how content he finally was with his life. He was admitting he was happy.

There they were, just two young couples, smiling in a picture together. And to anyone else, they would have seemed just like any other two couples.

Back then, they would almost be considered normal.

How things had changed.

* * *

When his world finally stopped spinning, he was standing a few feet away from Rinoa, surrounded by flowers.

They had been transported back to the flowerfield, their flowerfield, where at just 17 they had made the promise that they had both clung to over the years.

Rinoa said nothing as she stared at the man in front of her. His red hair was quickly changing to brown and lengthening. It grew so it covered part of his face as he shrunk down in height. His eyes transformed from their green color to the blueness she had loved so much. Finally, a long scar that was such a part of him appeared across his face.

"I promised you if you came here you would find me," the man whom she had only seen in her dreams for so long said seriously to her.

In one second, without any hesitation, without any thought that this might merely be some imposter or another cruel dream, Rinoa closed the distance between them and kissed him in a way she had never kissed him or anyone before.

He returned the favor in his own way.

Rinoa managed to smile into his lips after a few moments of liplocking.

Even if this did turn out to be another cruel dream, she would never take it back. This was the most alive she had felt in ages, and finally the world was how it should have always been.

Finally, Rinoa was with Squall again, and even if it lasted only a second more, she would be forever grateful she got that last glorious moment with Squall in the flowerfield after so long apart.

* * *


End file.
